Undertale: A New Day
by AmberTheCritic
Summary: Following the Great War, monsters are banished from the surface, forced to live underground for the rest of their lives. Years later, a young girl literally stumbles into their world, and must find a way to return home. Who is a friend and who is a foe? And how far can mercy take her, especially against an enemy who wants nothing less than her demise? (Rated T for action and such)
1. Introduction: Mt Ebott

**_Well, I'm one of the many who's fallen prey to the characters of "Undertale." So let's give this a go, shall we?_**

 ** _Firstly, no, the protagonist is not technically "Frisk"- with a playable character, their personality is usually a bit... bland, and especially with Frisk, a lot is left up to interpretation about their personality and backstory. You know what I mean. So I added my own interpretation of a "child character" and put her in. I'm going to stay as true to the canon characters as possible- they make the story as great as it is, and I'm not going to "fix" what's not broken. This will just serve as an introduction- like when you open up the game before the title screen. As such, no, it's not the most enthralling. I hope it's enough to get you to stick around til the next chapter- that's when our flowery little friend makes his entrance and the party *really* starts up.  
_**

 ** _So yeah. I hope you enjoy!  
_**

* * *

Mt. Ebott loomed against the clear summer sky. There was an ominous air about it; perhaps from the stark gray of the rocks, or the lack of trees to adorn its jagged peak.

Nevertheless, two facts remained evident. Firstly, this mountain was far from ordinary. It marked a pivotal point in history, as well as the lives of many passed and to come.

It was also a wonderful place to pick flowers.

* * *

Day kept her eyes on the ground, devoutly maintaining her balance. She scanned the short grass for a sign of her target— it couldn't be far, now. The path in front ended abruptly; a clump of boulders blocked the way, casting a shadow that completely consumed her.

She blinked, sizing up the obstacle. After a moment of pondering, Day rolled up the sleeves of her heavy sweater, freeing her hands for the task ahead. The girl took in a breath, then started to climb.

There was very little to cling onto; the rock was slick and weather-beaten from the elements, forcing Day to use smaller boulders as stepping stones. She stood on her toes, just able to grasp the tip of the tallest boulder, so she stretched a little further. Legs dangling aimlessly below her, Day tried unsuccessfully to get a foothold. After a bit more flailing, she was able to position a foot somewhere above her shoulders (people forget how frighteningly flexible a child can be) and scrambled to the top.

Day collapsed across her stomach, panting; she didn't expect this "quest" to include so much effort! Every other year seemed easier by comparison. When her breath returned, she gazed up, taking in the view.

She felt like she sat on the top of the world. There was nothing above her but sky, flecked with clouds that leisurely rolled by, just out of reach. The mountain air blew against her, cold and crisp, chilling her uncovered arms— she yanked down her sleeves.

Then, amidst her "regal" survey, she spotted them: wildflowers.

Day wasted no time, swinging her legs in front, then with a quick scoot, slid off the boulder entirely. She initially landed on her feet, but then toppled forward from the momentum.

"Ow!" she blurted, more from shock than pain. Her chin stung a little; she'd scuffed it in the fall. Day decided to ignore this and move on— after all, a more important task was at hand.

With what she deemed a grim determination, Day stood and brushed herself off, then began to browse the many flowers before her.

Her first stop was the daisy patch. She used daisies each year, and didn't plan to break the chain, examining each blossom before adding it to her collection. Once she was satisfied, she continued searching: the primroses were left untouched, as were the dandelions. The foxgloves made her pause… but the stems proved unsatisfactory for her project, so she passively turned her head and moved on.

The bright petals of the poppies caught her eye, so she gathered a few and added them to the handful of daisies, still searching for that certain patch. It was there last year— surely it hadn't died out?

But soon, she found them: forget-me-nots. Day strolled over, knelt amongst the flowers and collected the best. Although they were beautiful, she liked them more for the name rather than their appearance.

After a while, she'd amassed a large pile, so Day gathered the flowers in both arms, found a clear spot of grass, and set them in her lap.

She began to braid them together into a strand, carefully adding in each flower, tucking in the stems as the strand grew. Only the sounds of the breeze and the soft swaying of the flowers could be heard, so Day hummed a tune, occupying herself from the empty silence.

Behind her, something rustled in the grass. Day froze up, taken by surprise.

"H… hello?" she called out timidly, her voice meek enough to be swept away by the wind. There was no reply, so rather than investigating the sound, Day continued to braid flowers.

A loud roar erupted.

Day yelped in terror, scrambling to her feet in order to flee. In the chaos, the flowers were flung out of her lap, so she hastily backtracked to retrieve them—

And found herself face-to-face with a frog.

She was silent… then giggled in spite of herself.

"Oh," she breathed in relief, "You're just a frog." Day giggled again, "I thought you were some sort of monster!"

The frog blinked in contemplation, as if confused by this accusation.

Once the threat was neutralized (or rather, when she realized there was no threat to begin with), Day looked around for her flowers.

While she searched the patches around her, the loud-mouthed frog watched attentively; if he knew where the braid had fallen, he certainly wasn't telling.

She continued to hunt for them among the thousands of identical flowers, with no success.

Day made a noise of frustration—where had they gone? Pretty soon it would be the evening, and then night, and then she'd never get there in time! She couldn't keep them waiting much longer.

Still without luck, Day circled the area, perhaps overestimating how far the flowers could've gone.

Now several feet behind, the frog croaked hoarsely once again. She turned at the distraction, ignoring the path ahead of her.

Suddenly, the earth gave out from beneath her feet.

"Wha—"

Day was plunged into pitch blackness, swallowed whole by a large gap in the mountain. She reached out desperately for a lifeline, but her hands grasped empty air, and she plummeted blindly.

" _HELP!"_ she cried out fearfully, deprived of her senses and speeding towards whatever lay below. The air whistled piercingly past her ears—it felt like she was being shoved upwards rather than down, tumbling head over heels again and again.

Disoriented and in a panicked frenzy, she screamed with what breath was left in her lungs…

...

In the flower patch above, the frog croaked quietly to himself: the only witness to Day's disappearance, and he showed no sign of diving in after her.

* * *

 ** _Mm. Enthralling. I hate to disappoint you, but there isn't as much flower picking and frolicking throughout the rest of the story._**

 _*sounds of dismay*_

 ** _Thank you for reading!  
_**

 ** _Let's hope I actually get the chance to write more of this... heheh..._**

 _*rocks over knees with catatonic expression because school is consuming my life entirely ahahahahahasaveme*_


	2. Into the Underground

_**I realized that I have the choice of either making a few long chapters, or several relatively short ones. I'm choosing the latter, since it means that I'd be adding on more often. Hypothetically, anyway. Not taking into account my procrastination and laziness.**_

 _ **Welp. Enjoy!  
**_

* * *

Day was awoken by a shrill, piercing ring… and a massive headache. She plugged her ears to block out the awful sound, to no effect. It felt like her head was being crushed from all sides, but there was nothing touching it.

She tried to sit up, then when she could bear it, opened her eyes.

The area was completely dark, save for a small circle of light that surrounded her—she instantly squinted, the brightness rearing up the pain in her head, again.

"No…" she moaned to no one in particular, trying to find relief.

Holding her forehead, Day forced her eyes wide open, trying to make sense of the blur of colors swirling around her.

Eventually, the foggy yellow mass grew edges and defined shapes… and Day realized she was in the middle of a flower patch.

Her memories began to ebb back, and almost subconsciously, she glanced upwards. Apart from being partially blinded, she was shocked; there was a hole hundreds of feet above her in the mountainside, through which sunlight streamed in torrents.

Day rubbed her eyes furiously, did a double take—but the sight remained unchanged.

"Wh… what?" She tried to stand, but nearly collapsed, so she remained rooted to the ground on all fours. She found she was crushing a set of flowers beneath one of her hands, so she removed it quickly. The petals of the now crumpled flower were vibrantly yellow with a rich golden center, and despite the flattening, remained quite beautiful.

The ringing in her ears had begun to subside, so Day attempted to stand a second time, wobbling every which way, but managing somehow to remain upright.

She peered upwards, then around her, and repeated the pattern helplessly.

"What do I do?" she asked out loud, "I… I can't get up there! How do I-"

From behind her, there was a cheerful "Howdy!"

Day gasped and spun around—causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards, striking the back of her head against the ground.

" _Ow!"_ she cried, this time from pain and not simply shock. The unfortunate flowers had broken most the impact, but being the second time she'd landed squarely on her head that day, it made little difference.

She struggled to sit upright again, tears stinging at her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to force down the crushing headache.

"Wow… you're kind of a klutz, aren't you?"

Day searched for the speaker—a flower smiled back at her.

"Howdy!"

The girl blinked silently. Maybe she'd hit her head a little too hard.

Unfazed, the flower smiled even wider, "What's the matter? Ain'tcha ever seen a talking flower before?"

Hesitantly, Day shook her head.

He laughed, "You're not from around here, huh?"

She shook her head—she was sure it was the flower talking to her. But… how?

"Golly, you must be so confused!"

This time, she nodded steadily.

He continued to laugh cheerfully, "I guess I'd better show you the ropes, then!" He stretched his leaves in a contented way, "My name's Flowey—Flowey the flower! I mean, I am a _flower_ after all, so it'd be kinda hard to go by anything other than "the flower," right?"

Day nodded.

Flowey studied her curiously, as if he'd never seen something as strange as a human before, "You don't really talk a lot, do ya?"

She shook her head in a "no."

"Huh… maybe it's because you're all bruised up—why, anyone would have a headache after a huge fall like that!"

Well, he wasn't wrong.

His face became even more animated, "Oh! I know how I can help!" The flower gave her a wink, then above him, a small cloud of bright white dots appeared, spinning peacefully.

"See those things?" he asked, "They're called "friendliness pellets!" Down here, we use them to share love with one another!" He beamed, "These will make you feel better, I'm sure of it!"

Day watched the twinkling white dots, intrigued, then after a moment, smiled shyly at the flower.

Flowey laughed, seeing as the girl had warmed up to him. "That's it! Here, I'll share some friendliness pellets with you!" At this, the dots slowly began to gravitate towards her, floating idly. Almost mystified, Day reached out to touch one—

Her finger was suddenly scorched; the hovering dot seared her skin. With a yelp, she jerked the hand back inside her sleeve, making Flowey laugh. Only this time, his laugh was far from friendly… it almost sounded maniacal.

"You… you _idiot!"_ he cackled, still grinning widely, "How stupid could you be? Why would I waste my time on a whiny kid like you?!" Flowey's laughter subsided, leaving that malicious grin plastered across his face—his eyes remained locked on hers.

"In this world, it's _kill or be killed!_ " he bellowed, erupting into another bout of laughter. The white dots multiplied, encircling her, and Day panicked; she was trapped.

"N-no…" she pleaded, voice failing her.

He laughed harder, "Should've spoken up sooner! Now you're mine!"

The dots grew steadily closer… Day had frozen in fear, trying to shrink away from the approaching pellets, but was surrounded on all sides.

"N-no!" she whimpered, "No, please—"

Flowey roared with laughter, ignoring her, and the pellets closed in… Day was petrified, shaking in place. She buried her face into her sweater, too afraid to watch.

But the dots never reached her. Instead, there was a "pop," as if a fire had been snuffed out.

"… What?" she heard Flowey snap in annoyance, "What in the— _YEEEEOW!"_

His shriek made Day jerk her head up, just in time to see the uprooted flower go flying into the darkness, propelled forward by a strange white fire.

Her relief only lasted for a moment—whatever had gotten rid of Flowey was out there, and it was close.

Hurriedly, Day scoured the ground for something to fight back with. All she could find was a stick about as long as her arm, so she snatched it up and, wielding it like a sword, spun around to face her opponent.

Staring down at her with a benevolent expression was a creature Day had never seen before. It looked like a goat, but stood upright like a person. She was dressed in a long, purple robe with a strange white emblem in the center, and her white billowy sleeves stopped just above her paws—which oddly enough didn't seem the least bit goat-like.

"Oh, you poor dear," the goat/woman spoke sympathetically, "What a miserable creature—harming such an innocent youth!" She moved as if to touch Day, making the girl scoot back a ways, eyes glued fearfully to the woman.

She withdrew her hand, "Poor child… you must be terrified!" She offered a gentle smile, "I imagine you've never seen anyone as strange as me before, so I suppose your reaction may be warranted."

Day remained vigilant, gripping the stick and shaking violently.

The woman, seeing that her words made little difference, knelt in the flowers in front of her. She tried to stoop to eye-level with the girl.

"Dear, I'm not going to harm you," she assured kindly, "I know you must be afraid, not knowing where you are or who I am—you must be hurt, too... Yes, I can see you are…" She held out a hand, "Don't be afraid. You're no longer in any danger."

Day observed her silently, waiting for something that would betray the woman's _true_ intentions. But she just sat, hand extended in invitation, a patient smile on her face. She seemed nice… then again, so had the flower.

 _But,_ Day thought, _she doesn't look like she's lying… but I don't know… I…_

After pondering her options, Day decided she would risk it. Timidly, she approached the woman, the stick held readily at her side. When she was within an arm's reach she hesitated, still prepared for the woman to attack.

Instead, she only chuckled; it was a soft, lovely sound.

"My, aren't you a cautious one?" she teased, "Go on."

Day stared at the woman's empty hand… and, trembling a little, placed her own hand on top.

The woman smiled happily, "There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

She gingerly swept the bangs away from Day's forehead, and her smile sank into an expression of concern, "… That fall certainly did a number on you." No sooner than it had vanished, her smile returned, "Do not worry, I shall heal it."

She leaned forward, placing a kiss on the top of Day's head. Almost instantly, Day felt as if she'd taken a sip of a hot drink: the pain in her head seemed to melt away, leaving a warm, cozy feeling in its place.

Her contented expression seemed to give this away, because the woman stroked Day's hair lovingly, "That's better, isn't it?"

Day nodded, grateful this woman wasn't at all like she had expected.

"Good," the woman said, "Now, I suppose I should introduce myself; I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. I come by every so often to make sure nothing has fallen in from the surface—and I must say, you're the first human in many years to have entered the underground." She rose, brushing off her robe, "Here, I will guide you through the catacombs to some place safer—away from cruel things that lurk in the shadows." Toriel glared towards the direction that Flowey had been "fired off" into.

Day made a move as if to follow her, but paused, taking what could possibly be her final look up at the sun and the world above.

"No matter how long you stare, it won't get any closer. Believe me, I've tried." Toriel sounded sympathetic.

Unwillingly, Day tore her gaze away and followed Toriel into the darkness.

* * *

 ** _Oh Flowey... How does one not love you and your *charm*?_**

 ** _Easily, that's how. I hope your petals wilt. XP  
_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!_**


	3. Through the Ruins

_**And here we go, yet another short addition. Wow, it feels so weird putting forth anything less than 4,000+ words.**_

 _ **... I really hope this doesn't turn out to be over twenty chapters. Eheheheh... oh boy...**_

 _ **Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy.  
**_

* * *

 _ **Update: HAHAHAHA how naive I was when I initially posted this. Yeah, over twenty is gonna be what we go with here. My new goal is under forty. I'm just waiting patiently until I pass that limit, too. XP  
**_

* * *

"Please stay close to me, child," Toriel advised, "The ruins can be quite dangerous for someone as unfamiliar with them as yourself."

Day didn't need to be told twice- she trailed within inches of her guardian, eyes wandering the area with some trepidation.

The walls were made of dark stone, cracked with age and, in some places, spiraling ivy ate away at the crumbling rock. There was very little light: at corners, a small candle burned where it was mounted on the stone, only illuminating a few steps' worth of the long hallway.

Occasionally, Toriel would walk over to a wall, touch what seemed to be a switch of some sort, and then continue ahead unabated. Day didn't ask for an explanation; she was just grateful she wasn't forced to make the journey alone.

Once or twice, the girl checked behind herself tentatively, half expecting to find some sort of monster stalking them- perhaps it was caused by the excessively gloomy atmosphere of the ruins, or the fact that, given all she'd seen, it wasn't the most impossible scenario.

Day was suddenly stopped in her tracks, running headlong into an obstacle before her- Toriel.

She chuckled, "You must watch in _front_ of yourself while walking, dear! You nearly knocked me over!"

"S-sorry," she whispered apologetically.

"Never you mind, no harm done... though perhaps I could give you the chance to take in your new surroundings, as we walk." Toriel again offered a hand, and Day accepted it with none of the hesitation from before.

"There- now I doubt you'll get so easily lost," Toriel joked, glancing down at her with a tender expression. Day returned it shyly.

"Tell me, my child, what is your name?"

"... D-Day..." Her voice was no more than a breath.

"What was that?"

"D-Day," she repeated, only a little louder than before.

"Oh: Day! I see! My, what a pretty name for a pretty girl."

Day's cheeks burned—she sunk into her sweater, unsure how to reciprocate the praise.

"Very well, and how old are you, Day?" Toriel continued to ask.

"Nine..." she whispered, losing the volume from before.

Toriel seemed surprised, "My, you _are_ quite young! Do not worry- as long as you are with me, I will keep you safe from harm."

Day clung tighter to Toriel's hand- if _that_ was the case, well, she wouldn't be leaving her side any time soon.

They crossed through a low stone doorway, and Day caught a glimpse of something odd in the corner.

Toriel had stopped, considering something, so Day took the opportunity to study the strange object. It was tall, light brown, and looked as if it was composed of several lopsided sacks. There were a pair of eyes drawn on its "face," and it stared down the intruders unwaveringly.

"Hm… I suppose we could… yes, while we're here, it seems a good time," Toriel eventually declared, then turned to Day. "I have a task for you, dear, should you be willing."

Day nodded (she wasn't exactly in a position to refuse this woman), so Toriel explained, "Here in the ruins, you may encounter monsters who wish to fight you—as you've already learned—and should you not know what to do, the situation could prove quite dangerous."

Day was not exactly filled with determination at this warning.

"Do not look so worried, child! The solution is simple; all you must do is strike up a friendly conversation, and I will come to help you." She gestured to the lopsided dummy, "Here, practice on this!"

She released Day's hand and stepped back to spectate.

... This would be interesting.

Day approached the dummy, stopped, then looked to Toriel for instruction.

"Go on, dear."

She turned back to the dummy, then cleared her throat.

"Um… h-hello," she stammered, then immediately returned her attention to Toriel.

"You could do a little more, don't you think?"

Well, yes. But she _preferred_ not to.

"Uh…" Day wrung the sleeves of her sweater, the stick still held tightly in her grasp, "H-how… how are you… today?" She paused as if expecting an answer. Of course, getting none, she continued the conversation on her own, "Th-that's good. Um… you have nice… uh, n-nice… eyes?"

After another brief silence, Day felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Very good, little one!" Toriel congratulated, "Very good."

Day doubted this, but didn't say anything to correct her.

Their journey continued uneventfully… but only for a few more yards. They entered a long, narrow hallway, lit in a way that the exit was completely out of sight. It could've gone on for miles and she would be none the wiser.

"I know you must be quite tired of this by now," Toriel commented, "But…" She dropped Day's hand, "I want you to walk to the end of the hall. On your own."

There was no further explanation—in an instant, she was gone.

"Wait!" Day blurted, hurrying ahead to catch up with her, "Wait, don't—" Her pace slowed… Toriel was not there. There was only the empty hallway. She even checked behind herself to be sure, but found no one.

Fear seized her once again, and Day started to shake.

"M-Miss Toriel?" she called out, then without waiting for an answer, repeated more desperately, " _Miss Toriel? Where are you?"_

The walls reverberated with her voice, and Day realized just how childish she sounded.

 _Do… do I really talk like that?_ she wondered, a little ashamed of her shrill and whining tone. _I must be really… annoying to be around._

The back of her neck began to heat up, spreading to her cheeks, and a lump formed in her throat. She swallowed uncomfortably, then more resolute, rubbed her burning eyes with a sleeve. Toriel had given her a job to do: walk to the end of the hall. She didn't know why this would help, but Toriel hadn't done anything to hurt her yet, so she probably knew something Day didn't. And what was so hard about that? She could walk—she wasn't a _baby. S_ he could take care of herself!

Day set her jaw, and with eyes locked on the ground in front of her, plowed forward.

The walls felt like they squeezed closer with every footstep, hunching over to peer down at her from above, waiting for the opportune moment to crumble and collapse. But Day didn't let this stop her—she kept walking.

And walking. And walking. The stone walls narrowed, the darkness became thicker, the hall colder: gradually, Day began to shake again. The uncomfortable prickling returned to her face and neck, the prickling thoughts to her mind.

Somehow, her legs pressed on almost mechanically, ignoring the discomfort of her upper half. Day focused solely on her shoes and the patter they made against the earth, refusing to slow her pace. Any minute, she would get to the end. It couldn't be much further now; she'd been walking for ages, surely it was only a few steps away. Soon… it had to be there…

Then, the darkness began to retreat—there was a light up ahead. Fears now long behind her, Day rushed forward, an escape in plain sight. And there it was: the doorway. It was framed on either side by a worn white pillar, which cast long shadows against the wall behind it.

She had already begun to leave the dreaded hallway in her wake when, from a distance, she heard someone chuckle and ask, "Aren't you forgetting something, little one?"

Day halted in her tracks, surprised. She spun on her heels to return—and stopped just short of ramming into Toriel for a second time.

She beamed, "Hello there, Day!"

"Miss Toriel!" She threw her arms around the woman in a grateful embrace. Toriel returned the hug without any hesitation.

"Thank you for trusting me, my child. I appreciate the "miss," also." When Day had released her, she continued, "Do not worry, I never left you—I was merely watching from behind the pillar you saw. But I did so for a very important reason: to test your independence."

Day glanced up, a little confused.

"It is not that I doubt your bravery, of course—" Day thought she heard a note of patronization in the way she'd phrased that, "—but I needed to be sure that you could handle the responsibilities of being left alone, even if only for a short time." She smiled, "I want to know that my child can take care of herself and not get hurt by foul-mouthed flowers."

The biggest threat in her life was now a flower—Day had fallen through a mountain and somehow still found ways to hit a new low.

"On that note," Toriel said, "I have some business that I must attend to, and I'd like you to wait here for a little while; the rooms ahead have more complicated puzzles that may be a bit difficult for you, right now. Is that alright?"

Day nodded, though deep down, she'd have preferred to stay with Toriel more than anything.

"Don't worry, dear, I have something for you." Toriel withdrew a small object from the pocket of her robe and handed it to Day, "It's a cellphone. If you need me, you can call, and I'll be here in the blink of an eye!"

Day studied the phone, intrigued; she'd never had anything like this, before. Of course, she'd seen people around her use ones that looked a bit like it, but… this one was _hers._

"Now, are you sure you'll be alright?" Toriel repeated, "You won't be afraid on your own?"

"I don't think so…" she answered, a little distracted.

"Very good." Toriel passed through the doorway, and was soon out of sight.

Day almost didn't notice her absence; she had sat against one of the pillars, flipping open the phone and staring wide-eyed at the bright screen. There were multiple icons and buttons all over, and she planned on testing each.

 _I will never get tired of this!_ she mentally declared, eagerly browsing the contents of her new toy…

* * *

After only ten minutes, she was sprawled out across her back, staring at the ceiling in boredom. The phone sat beside her, idle.

 _I am very tired of this, now._

Day sighed, rolling over onto her stomach; she was no longer gripped by impending doom, but then again, she wasn't doing much of anything else. And it was boring, to say the least.

Time dragged on, and nothing changed around her. Day had shifted positions at least six times, and found herself sitting crisscrossed against one of the pillars, chin in her hands.

Weren't there supposed to be monsters in here? Because right now, the scariest things she could see were rocks.

Not long after this thought entered her mind, there was a blur in the corner of the doorway.

Day sat up, "… Miss Toriel?"

There was no reply.

She was sure she'd seen something there… were her eyes playing tricks on her?

After a minute, curiosity got the better of her. Day stood, picked up her discarded phone, continued to wield her stick, and set out to explore what lied beyond the empty hallway.

* * *

 _ **(I finished this at nearly 1AM... gonna take a leap of faith and say I did a decent job editing... GERONIMOOOO!)**_

 _ **Update: That didn't go very well for me. I had to re-edit. Life lesson, kids: edit. Or mess up tenses and writhe in shame.**_

 _You know you want to throw in the term "determination" every so often, but it becomes increasingly obvious. The desire to accomplish this and do so in a pleasing way... fills you with determinati-_

 _Darn it, did it again._

 _ **I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!**_


	4. Still Through Those Ruins (Hoorah)

_**Happy late Thanksgiving, everyone! :) Anyway, on we go...  
**_

* * *

There was a crunch the second Day ventured into the next corridor, making her retreat in alarm. The sound seemed to be caused by no more than a pile of leaves, scattered across the hallway.

How did leaves get into an area with no trees or sunlight? She preferred not to think about it.

Relieved, Day took a few steps forward, and the crinkling continued. She lightened up, even gaining the hint of a spring in her step.

It didn't last long. Upon rounding a corner, her next skip resulted in a hideous croak.

" _Ribbiiiiiiit!"_ The leaves where whipped up in a flurry, and something darted out from beneath her—she yelped.

It was met with more furious croaking, and then suddenly, something rammed into her leg.

"Hey!" Day leapt back, trying to identify her attacker, "What are you—"

" _Ribbit!"_ An odd-looking frog launched itself through the air, though it fell short and landed in a shallow leaf pile.

Day tried to escape her attacker, but the moment her back was turned, the slippery assailant made his next move—he threw himself at her with even more fervor. Either by aim or accident, it caused her leg to buckle, making Day drop to the ground.

She could feel his clammy little limbs scurrying up her leg, so she tried to swat him away (but not hard- she didn't want to hurt him).

"Come on!" she pleaded, "Just—get off!"

In retaliation, the froggish froggit sunk to its haunches and sprung upwards, plopping down directly on top of her head. He glared at her, a low grumble gurgling in his throat, and raised a pathetic flipper to strike—

A short, musical jingle broke out. It ended just as quickly—then repeated itself.

Day blinked. The froggit blinked back. Both seemed equally clueless. Then, Day made a discovery; the sound was emanating from _her._

Her phone had begun to vibrate steadily in her pocket, so she withdrew it, only to realize that it was making the strange sound, too. Needing a second to find the corresponding button, Day eventually managed to answer the phone.

"… Hello?"

"Hello, my child! This is Toriel!" the voice on the other end greeted, "How are you doing? You haven't left the room, have you?"

There was a pause.

"… Um… no?"

She could feel the froggit judging her for the slanderous lie. She sat up, and the creature tumbled into her lap, clearly displeased with his continued jostling.

"Good! As I said, it could be a bit dangerous up ahead. Just wait where you are, and you'll be safe!"

"Okay."

"Also, for no reason in particular… which do you prefer: cinnamon or butterscotch?"

Day had a feeling that there _was_ in fact a particular reason behind the question, but that didn't stop her from answering.

"Both are really good."

"Do you have one you enjoy above the other?"

"No… I think they're both good."

"Very well then, thank you!" Toriel replied, "I'll see you in a little while, dear!"

The phone clicked.

Day returned it to her pocket and brought her attention back to the froggit. He looked thoroughly unamused.

"… H-hello?" she attempted, "You… can't talk too, can you?"

" _Ribbit."_

"Oh… okay, I guess that means no…" She shifted uncomfortably, "Um… I'm sorry I stepped on you—I didn't mean to hurt you, you just scared me. I… I hope you're not mad?"

The froggit considered her apology, croaking thoughtfully. After a moment, he seemed pacified; he hopped out of her lap then steadily away, leaves crinkling with each landing.

Confrontation now resolved, Day brushed herself off and prepared to move on. But to her surprise, she found herself being closely pursued.

" _Ribbit!"_ the froggit called after her, flying through the air with each hop.

Day waited patiently for him to catch up, "Hi again."

The froggit approached, and promptly dropped a collection of small items on the floor before her. Day knelt down to inspect them: they were small, individually wrapped candies, sporting colorful patterns and logos.

"Oh? Where did you find those?"

He blinked, leaving the inquiry unanswered—surely no one would find the overturned pedestal and bowl. The "please take one" he interpreted more as a suggested serving size.

"Are… are you giving them to me?" Day asked tentatively.

The froggit croaked—it sounded like a confirmation.

"Wow, thank you!" she said cheerfully, collecting them in a hand, "Do you want one?"

The next croak was undoubtedly a yes.

She unwrapped a bright pink candy, handing it to her new friend, who snatched it up with a long tongue.

"Well, I have to keep going," Day told him, "Thank you for the candy."

He made a quiet farewell, occupied by the bubble of gum he was beginning to inflate.

* * *

After another hallway, Day entered a much wider room; near the center sat three large rocks.

Since they didn't seem to require her immediate consideration, she passed them to continue forward… and was stopped by a wall of spikes.

Well. Great.

Knowing that something would almost _certainly_ go awry should she try to climb over those spikes, Day pondered an alternative.

Upon closer examination, she realized that a few feet away from each rock was a small square tile, protruding just noticeably above the ground. Day bent over to touch one, and there was a faint click—she released it, and the sound came again.

"Hm…" Something told her that if she could hold down all three tiles at once, an exit would become available. Therein lied the dilemma: how would she hold down all three _and_ leave the room?

Oh. The rocks.

… Right.

Day went to move the first rock… and it barely budged.

She discarded the stick a few feet away, then with a deep breath, Day threw all of her weight into the rock. It slid unwillingly, but only by a matter of inches. On her next attempt, the ground beneath it now loosened, the rock made more progress—Day stumbled and missed a face-plant against the surface of the rock by a hair's breadth. It took only one additional shove to reach the tile, and the rock slid over its edge, resulting in a satisfying click.

Day exhaled, but smiled proudly; she'd done it.

… Two more to go.

The next rock was considerably more jagged than the last, and Day searched fruitlessly for a patch to push against. It required just as much force to move, maybe even more.

"Come on... _please_ move _!"_ she groaned, using as much strength as she could muster, but made it nowhere. Several times, her hand would slip, resulting in a gash across whatever area was unfortunate enough to have made contact. The first few were just nicks and scrapes—some on her fingers drew blood.

After an excruciatingly long time, the second rock was in place, and Day hid her hands painfully in her sleeves, trying to stop their sting.

"Just one more," she told herself, trying to muster up the willpower to complete the task. With a deep intake of breath, Day flexed her sore fingers and placed them on the final rock—

"Excuse me, darling!"

Day recoiled fearfully.

"Who do you think you are, goin' around and shovin' folks like that?"

Day searched the room for the speaker, but found no one.

"What do you think your doin'?" the voice snapped, "It ain't polite to go ignoring folks when they're talking to you!"

Slowly, she turned her attention back to the rock.

"Um… I'm sorry?"

"Well, that's alright, sweetheart."

It was coming from the rock. The rock could talk. Of course the rock could talk.

"Why is it you're goin' around and pushin' everyone, though?" the rock inquired.

"I… I need to get past those spikes," she explained, pointing at the blocked entrance (was it rude of her to do that to an eyeless rock?), "I thought if I could hold down the tiles, I could—"

"Say no more, sweetheart, I read you loud and clear!" the rock assured, "You want me to move, right?"

"If… if it's not too much trouble, I mean."

"Aw, of course! It ain't no trouble at all!" With that, the rock moved… an inch towards the tile. "How's that, pumpkin?"

"… Uh…" Day didn't want to be demanding, but she also didn't want to be stuck in the same room for hours to come, "Do you think… if you wanted to, you could… move a little more?"

"No problem, darling!" The rock moved again, this time a much greater distance. Backwards.

Day tried to be more specific, "Could you… maybe move onto the tile, please?"

"Oh, you wanted me on the _tile!"_ the rock exclaimed, "Why didn't you just say so, hon'?" At long last, with a single scoot, the final rock moved onto its tile. With a click, the spikes withdrew into the ground, leaving the exit clear.

"Thank you," she remembered to say.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all, darling!" the rock assured, "Now you come back and see me some time, you hear?"

"Okay," she agreed, returning to the first rock to collect her stick—only to find it missing.

"Huh?" Day searched both sides of the rock, then the other two— where had it gone?

There was a sound like laughter behind her, so Day spun around, staring directly into the eyes—er, _eye_ of a small horned monster. As if reading her thoughts, he grinned—and held up her stick tauntingly.

"H-hey!" she called out after him, "That's—th-that belongs to me! Can you please g-give it back?"

The monster didn't consider it for a second; he ran off, cackling.

"Wait!" Day hurried to keep up with him, "Come back!"

* * *

Still guffawing, the mischievous monster bounded forward, just out of reach. He seemed to have no desire to stop, and continued to lead her deeper into the ruins.

"W-wait!" Day shouted, doing her best to keep up, "Can you please just—I need that!"

Hearing this, the monster halted, but only to leer at her a second time before scurrying into the next room. She was hot on his trail, and entered the room only moments behind him… to find no one.

At first, Day thought she had lost him, but a sharp cackle proved otherwise. Despite this, she couldn't spot him anywhere.

"I… I know you're there…" she told him, "And I'd really like that stick back, please…"

There was a snicker, "Don't pick on me!"

She searched blindly for the source, but the voice bounced off the ruins' walls, making it impossible to pinpoint a single location.

"I didn't—I'm not going to pick on you!" she reassured, "I'd just like you to give back what you took." Remembering something, she dug a hand into her pocket, "I'll trade you for it?"

The magic words had been spoken—the horned monster emerged from the shadows, eyeing her skeptically.

Day withdrew a handful of candy, extending her arm for him to see.

He slunk forward, glued to the colorful treats, and she could just glimpse the stick, held protectively behind his back.

"You want some?" she offered, "You can have them… but you've got to promise to give me the stick back. Okay?"

The little monster growled, trying to resist her bargain… but his eye was drawn back to the candy, and he growled again.

"Gr… give me the candy first!" he snapped.

Day placed them on the ground, and retreated to give him some space. Almost as soon as they touched the ground, he scurried forward to snatch them up greedily, casting the stick behind him in disinterest.

Seizing the opportunity, Day tried to subtly make her way over to the discarded stick, taking her eyes off the ornery monster. Thinking he wouldn't pay any mind to her, she bent over and cautiously reached for the stick—

" _Hey!"_

She was raked across the hand with a set of claws, and the monster swept up the stick, clutching it along with his sugary prize. He hissed, and Day backed up fearfully.

"Give me more!" he demanded, approaching her threateningly.

"I-I don't have any more!" she told him truthfully, "Please, don't—I don't even want the stick anymore, you can just—"

She was cut off by a low, eerie moan. The monster twitched, backing away from her and looking every which way.

"G-go away!" he growled, visibly shaking, "Stop it!"

The moan returned, much louder than before, and the monster lost his nerve; with a shriek of panic, he dropped all he was clinging to, dashing back into the darkness of the ruins.

Day was too unnerved to collect her items, and had also begun to retreat when the eerie voice called out again.

"Wait," it moaned, "I didn't mean to scare your friend off… I'm sorry…"

She stopped, then in confusion, turned back to face the voice.

There, floating above the ground only inches away from where she stood, was a ghost.

Day's joints locked up in terror—it was all that prevented her from screaming.

"Oh… you two were probably having a conversation, weren't you?" the ghost assumed (incorrectly so), and seemed to droop a little, "And I made him run away… oh… I always do things like that…"

His sorrowful tone made Day lower her guard, and she studied him curiously: his large, round eyes were incredibly downcast, and even seemed to well up with tears. His body was simple and white, and upon closer examination, a bit translucent.

Then, he sniffled, and a pair of ghostly tears fell from his eyes.

Day felt a pang of sympathy, "Don't cry, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong." She rubbed her hand, which had begun to bleed slightly, "He… wasn't very nice, anyway. So thank you for scaring him away."

The ghost let out another sniffle, "Oh, okay… well I guess it's good that I scared him away then… I was afraid I chased away one of your friends. I didn't want to make you upset…"

"It's okay, I'm not upset." Day took the chance to go back and collect her stick—and candy, while she was at it. She returned to the ghost, no longer afraid, "What's your name?"

"… I'm… Napstablook," he told her lowly, "But my friends call me Blooky… if you want to do that… because it's shorter…"

"Blooky's a cool name," she told him.

"Oh? Do you think so?" he asked, looking genuinely surprised to hear the compliment, "If you say so… But I bet your name is cooler… What is your name?"

"Day."

"Oh… that's a nice name…" he replied, "It sounds… nice…"

There was a brief period of silence, neither knowing quite how to continue the conversation.

After the awkwardness had spread a great deal, Napstablook timidly offered, "Hey… do you want to… see a trick?" He then added only a moment later, "You don't have to say yes if you don't want to…"

"Sure, I'd like to see," she encouraged kindly.

Napstablook was again surprised, "Oh… so you do…? Okay then, uh… I hope I can do it right…"

The ghost concentrated, then slowly, a small mass of white began to materialize on his head, appearing to be the same substance as the rest of him. It gradually grew into a tall cylinder, flattening out at the bottom until it resembled a ghostly top hat.

"I call it "dapper blook"," he explained, timidly awaiting her response.

Day broke into a grin—then giggled.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed.

Napstablook gave a start, and his hat slowly faded away.

"Oh… wow." He floated a bit closer to her, "This is funny… I came down to the ruins, because usually no one is here… but today I met someone really nice…"

Day beamed, "I met someone nice, too."

Napstablook didn't quite smile, but there seemed to be something more cheerful about his droopy expression, "Oh… that's good… maybe I'll find the person you're talking about…"

Before she could explain herself, he blurted, "Oh, you were going somewhere, weren't you? I took up a lot of your time… I guess I'd better go…" Napstablook drifted off a bit, then hovered in place and added, "Maybe I'll see you again… or maybe not. But I hope so."

"I hope so, too," she agreed, "Bye, Blooky."

"Bye…" His voice faded as he floated away, gradually disappearing deeper into the ruins.

Day continued to smile—her first ghost encounter wasn't at all like she'd expected. She was in much better _spirits_ as she continued on.

* * *

After several long minutes of traveling, Day stood before a tall, leafless tree. Its bark was an inky black, and its gnarled branches rose claw-like towards the ceiling of the ruins. It was a bit unnerving, so when there was a sudden crackle of dead leaves, Day jumped.

Alerted to her presence, a head poked around the tree's trunk—

"Oh! There you are, dear!" Toriel lowered the phone from her ear, "I was just about to call you!"

Day hurried over to her, thankful to see a familiar face.

"Day, how did you get here?" she wondered, then quickly questioned, "You're not hurt, are you?"

Almost guiltily, she raised her hands—they were covered in small cuts and abrasions.

Toriel gasped, "Oh my— oh you poor dear!" She knelt down to examine them closely, "Oh… it was irresponsible of me to try to surprise you like this…"

"I'm okay," she assured, hating to see the woman in distress, "They don't hurt that bad."

It made Toriel smile sadly, "Be that as it may… I am sorry I left you alone for so long." She cradled Day's injured hands gently in a paw, "Do not worry—I will make them feel better." Toriel stood, "I suppose I cannot hide the surprise any longer. Come along, small one!"

Day followed her obediently, wondering what "surprise" could be in store for her.

The tree no longer obstructing her view, Day could see what lied ahead; there was a small, cozy looking house at the end of the cavernous room, warm light shining out from the windows. It was a welcomed sight, to say the least, and the relief was evident on her face.

Toriel turned back to her, then with a smile, said, "Welcome, Day, to your new home!"

Day was stopped in her tracks at the word.

… _Home?_

* * *

 ** _Sorry to stop it there, but this was getting long. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!  
_**


	5. Home?

_**Yay, back again! We're finally moving along through the game! I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

An intoxicating aroma struck Day the moment she set foot inside the house: it smelled like… cinnamon?

"Surprise!" Toriel exclaimed, "To celebrate your arrival, I'm making you a butterscotch and cinnamon pie—I've decided to hold off on the snail pie for tonight." She winked. Day hoped that last part was a joke.

Toriel gestured for Day to follow (Day decided to leave her "weapon" at the door), and led her into a small living room. A fire blazed in the quaint fireplace, and beside it was an enormous, puffy chair. It was there, after disappearing briefly around the corner behind it, that Toriel sat.

"Come here, my child."

Day approached gradually, taking in the room around her. With gentle paws, Toriel lifted the child up onto her knee and said: "Now, let me see your hands."

She held them out upon request; Toriel revealed a handful of band aids and one by one, began to bind up each scratch.

Day's eyes continued to wander the room while she was tended to: there was a well-worn wooden table near the back wall, accompanied by three chairs. One was her size, the other two more fitted to Toriel's.

"What happened here?" Toriel asked, gesturing to the back of Day's right hand, which sported three long claw marks.

"Oh, I just… it's okay," she claimed, avoiding a direct answer.

"Did something attack you?"

"… Maybe just a little bit." Before she could incriminate the little monster any more, she added, "But Blooky came and scared him away."

"Who?"

"Blooky—er, Napstablook. He's a ghost I met."

"I see," Toriel replied, placing a large bandage across the wound, "So you've made a new friend already—good. I was sure you'd have no trouble."

"Mm-hm." She'd begun to nod off, as a result of the eventful journey and cozy nature of the house.

"Alright dear, you can hop off now."

Day obeyed, then examined her hands—almost every finger was at some place wrapped in a band aid, with a wide one across the back of her hand, and another along the length of her left palm.

Well, she had to admit the job was a thorough one. She could barely bend her fingers, though.

"Thank you, Miss Toriel," she remembered to say.

"Of course, dear," she responded sweetly, rising from the chair, "Now, you must be tired—I'll show you to your room."

Day stared up at her, thinking maybe she'd misheard, "My… my room?"

"Well… yes," Toriel answered, "You'd like a place to sleep while you're staying here, wouldn't you?"

She nodded wordlessly, still confused, and followed after Toriel. The rest of the house was just as warm and inviting, filled with wooden furniture and topped off with simple vases, holding many types of plants she didn't recognize.

Toriel stopped at the first door of the hallway, "Here we are. Feel free to make yourself at home, dear." She reached down and set a hand on Day's head, ruffling the hair in a loving manner. Day initially froze, but soon relaxed. It'd been a while since someone had done that… it felt nice.

Suddenly, Toriel's head flew up.

"Is something burning?" she wondered out loud, "I should check on the pie—I'll be back in a moment!" Toriel hurried off, leaving Day alone in front of the door.

After a second's hesitation, Day turned the knob and entered.

The room was small and faintly lit. She saw a wardrobe, a shelf, and a few baskets here and there. Among them was another welcomed sight: a bed. Day wasted no time; she headed over to "investigate," and finding it the perfect size, was able to climb on top. The comforter smelled old, but if she noticed, she didn't mind, preoccupied with the dreariness that became impossible to ignore.

Day yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Maybe she'd just lie down for a second… Confident that she'd be able to resist the temptation of sleep, Day made an attempt to untie her shoes (giving up halfway and simply kicking them off), and lied across the length of the bed. As an afterthought, she reached up for the pillow and pulled it to her chest, needing something to hold onto.

She allowed her eyes to close briefly, and her mind began to wander.

Funny, it seemed like forever since… since she'd been in an actual house—and not just a house, but a "home". Why did the word sound so funny? She used to be able to say it just fine, but now it almost seemed like it was from another language. How long had it been since she'd had her own room? And her own bed? And how long was it since she'd had someone who was like a… almost like a…

Before the thought was completed, Day dozed off.

* * *

When she awoke, Day found herself tucked snugly beneath the bed sheets, the room dark.

Hm… guess her plan to stay awake wasn't quite as concrete as she'd hoped.

She sat up groggily, and as she had begun to recover her senses, noticed the powerful smell from earlier. Day threw her legs over the side of the bed to explore—and came within inches of squashing the source beneath her.

She glanced down to examine it: on a simple white plate sat a single slice of pie, still radiating heat, as if waiting for her.

Day knelt on the floor, and found alongside it a fork and a slip of paper folded in two. She picked up the paper and read:

 _"For my sweetie pie!"_ There was a string of small hearts drawn beneath the message.

"Oh…" Day smiled, refolded the note and slipped it into her pocket. She picked up the pie and took an experimental taste…

Then proceeded to devour it ravenously. To say Toriel was a "good" cook was denying her the proper credit. The pie was rich, creamy… delicious… and it was gone within the minute.

She reclined against the bed, sighing contentedly; it was nice to finally have something in her empty stomach. Now would be the perfect time for a _second_ nap.

But then, she made a realization: her shoes were not where she'd left them, at the foot of the bed.

Day scanned the floor, and then spotted what appeared to be one of the pink laces dangling from a box in the corner.

 _Hm, Toriel must've put them there…_ Day went over to retrieve them, opening the box's lid—

She stopped. And blinked.

The box was filled to the brim with shoes: all different sizes and styles, some without their matching partners, all well-worn and dusty.

 _... Whose shoes are those?_

Day snatched her own shoes off the top of the pile, deciding she'd ignore the others for now; maybe she'd forget about them. She laced them up, and remembering to pick up after herself, collected the plate and fork. Day left the bedroom in search of Toriel.

She entered the living room and, finding it empty, continued through. She rounded the corner to find a tiny, tidy kitchen. On the counter loomed the rest of the butterscotch and cinnamon pie—Day was a bit intimidated when she saw the pie was about the same size as her, and didn't attempt to procure a second slice.

Even on the tips of her toes, Day could barely reach the sink- and she didn't plan to just _toss_ the plate inside, for fear of breaking it. With a quick huff, she stood back from the counter, pondering a solution…

"Oh, there you are!"

Day spun around, caught in the act, and dropped the plate—it shattered completely.

Toriel laughed at Day's startled expression, "I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to scare you!" She saw what remained of the plate and "put together the pieces" of the situation. "You can't reach the sink, can you?"

Day shook her head, flushing hotly, "S-sorry, I was trying not to break it—"

"It's no matter," Toriel assured, "Here, I'll—no, it's quite alright, I'll clean it up! You're already bandaged up and down as is. I'll be in the living room in a moment, if you'd like to wait there."

"I can help you, if you need…" she offered, feeling guilty for her mistake.

Toriel waved it away passively, "It's no trouble, my child. I'll just be a minute."

Day nodded, then retreated back into the living room, deciding to wait beside the giant armchair. Again, she took note of the wooden table with… three chairs. _Three?_ Well one was obviously for Toriel, and sure, the second was understandable for guests, but… a third seemed odd, especially with its small size. Could it have something to do with all those shoes?

… Toriel seemed fairly familiar with humans, but Day had seen no sign of other people throughout the underground. There was a clear way in (which she'd "stumbled upon"), but not an exit. So… where had the owners of those shoes gone?

"Well now, that's cleaned up!" Toriel announced as she left the kitchen, heading straight for her chair, "Did you enjoy the pie, I take it? I hardly found a crumb left!"

"Yes ma'am," she replied, "It was really good!"

Toriel beamed with pride, "I'm glad you liked it." Once she was comfortable, she patted her knee, gesturing for Day to join her. It took some help, but Day found herself once again in Toriel's lap. When she was situated, Toriel picked up a book from the fireplace's mantle, finding her place by way of a floral-print bookmark.

"Would you like to hear about this book I am reading?" she offered.

Day nodded, nestling close to her—between Toriel's embrace and the comfy chair cushions, she couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be.

"Well, it's called "72 Uses for Snails." Here's a snail fact: did you know that sometimes, a snail will flip its digestive track as it matures?"

"Oh," Day responded, "That's weird."

"Indeed," Toriel agreed, "Oh, here's another one: some snail slime is good for your skin. It can even heal wounds more quickly—isn't that interesting?"

Day crinkled her nose in disgust, "Ew."

Toriel laughed, "Perhaps we should have used some snail slime on your hands, to make them heal faster?"

"Ew, no way!" Day protested, but grinned all the while, "What else is there?"

"Let's see here… it says that the smallest land snail discovered is only 0.03 inches tall— ten of them could pass through the eye of a needle at once!"

"Wow. That's pretty small."

"Yes—in all my years, I've never seen a snail of that size: though I suppose I could've just as easily missed it." Toriel laughed, then quieted quickly. She glanced down, "… Day?"

"Yes, Miss Toriel?"

"Um… I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here," she admitted, "The underground is a bit lonely, as I'm sure you can imagine. It's not every day a human stops by to visit."

Day nodded, understanding what she meant.

"There are so many old books I want to share, and there's all my favorite bug-hunting spots—snails too. Oh, I've also prepared a curriculum for your education!"

"My education?"

"Of course—you have much to learn, while you're living here."

… _Living_ here?

"This may come as a surprise to you," Toriel continued, "But I've always wanted to become a teacher." She hesitated, "Well, maybe it's not that much of a surprise. _Still_. I am very happy to have you staying here, dear."

Day sat silently, not sure how to reply. It hadn't occurred to her till now, but… Toriel expected her to _remain_ there. Permanently. But she needed to get back to the surface! That's where… well, that's where she was from, where she belonged! That was "home." Of course… that "home" paled in comparison to Toriel's… so why did she want to go back so badly? Well…

Day couldn't put it to words. She knew it, but didn't know how.

She also didn't know how she'd explain it to Toriel.

"Um…" She shifted in place, "Miss Toriel?"

"Yes? What is it, my child?"

 _My child._ The words carried a new, guilty weight to them, now. Day sunk into her sweater slightly.

"I was just wondering… um…" She rubbed one of the larger bandages on her hand, "Is… is this all there is underground?"

"Well, no," Toriel told her, setting the book aside, "The ruins only make up a small portion of the entire underground; it runs much deeper than all you've seen."

"Oh?"

"It's much different from what you've seen—it goes from snowy and cold to horridly hot in a matter of feet. Very unstable: you wouldn't want to get lost in a place like that."

"Oh…"

"And that being said, there's much stronger and more dangerous monsters the further in you go." Her tone had gained a sharpness to it that caught Day off guard. "It's not a matter to be concerned with; you'll be much safer here."

"Yes, but—"

"I would rather you did not talk back, Day."

Day's eyes flew down to her hands, flushing again. If there's one thing she'd been taught, it was to _not_ argue with adults.

Toriel let out a slow breath, "Excuse me, I have to attend to something, for a moment." Without further explanation, she rose from the chair (Day had left her knee for one of the chair's corners) and hastily left the room.

 _I made her mad,_ Day realized. Normally, that alone would be enough to make her determined to never again bring up the topic.

But this situation was not "normal." She had to get out of here. Maybe further in the underground, there would be a way out—but in order to find one, she'd have to leave the ruins.

Day climbed down from the chair and headed for the front door.

She took a step outside, stick in hand… and made a disappointing discovery. Toriel's house was positioned against the back wall of the cavern; there was nothing on the other side. And upon venturing into the ruins a second time, Day hit a dead-end. She could go no further.

"What do I do?" she wondered aloud, returning to Toriel's house in dismay. It looked as if she had no choice but to obey Toriel's wishes and stay there…

Upon entering, Day noticed a modest staircase that had escaped her attention earlier. It led downwards, beneath the house. To the basement, maybe? She wasn't sure… but she decided to find out.

Day held tight to the railing as she descended, gradually finding herself in a dark hallway. And at the foot of the stairs, with her back turned, was Toriel.

Before she could backtrack, Toriel spoke: "So… you wish to return to your _real_ home, do you not?"

Day flinched at the way she'd said it, and wasn't able to answer.

"Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins," she explained, "A one-way exit to the rest of the underground." There was a pause, "I am going to destroy it."

"Y-you ca—" Day tried to protest, but her voice caught in her throat, making the words too soft to catch.

"This way, no one will be able to leave _ever_ _again_. Now, be a good child and go upstairs." Toriel walked away without looking back, disappearing down the hallway.

Day realized she had begun to shake slightly—it started when Toriel had spoken the words "again." She had an awful feeling that the mystery of the shoes had been solved. Without thinking, she retraced her steps back up the stairs… but stopped shortly after.

… She had to find a way out.

Day returned to the hallway, and eventually caught up with Toriel, who halted as soon as she realized she was being followed.

She let out a deep sigh, "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again—" Now, she was facing Day, her gaze sharp, "They come. They leave. They die."

The child took a step back, but didn't retreat any further.

Toriel huffed, "You naïve child… I am only trying to protect you! If you leave these ruins, they… _Asgore_ will kill you!"

She spat the name viciously, and her claim was followed by an ominous silence. When Day still refused to move, Toriel straightened up and stressed, "This is your final warning. Do not try to stop me; go back upstairs."

She disappeared around a bend in the hall. Day remained behind, uncertain if she was doing the right thing. Toriel hadn't done anything to harm her… she seemed like she knew best. But…

It still nagged at her: that desire to go home. It was even stronger than her nerves, and the feeling alone compelled her to follow Toriel.

A dark, simple door awaited her, decorated with the same symbol that adorned Toriel's robe. Toriel herself was positioned squarely in front of it, apparently expecting her disobedience. Her expression made Day cringe—it was ice cold.

"You want to leave so badly?" she challenged, looking and sounding nothing like the woman who'd rescued Day in the ruins, "Hmph. You're just like all the rest… Very well. There is only one solution." She rolled up the sleeves of her robe, "Prove yourself… prove to me that you are strong enough to survive!"

Her palms became lit with a bright white fire, while one much more potent blazed in her eyes.

… Uh-oh.

Hesitantly, Day tried to approach, "Miss Toriel, I need to—"

The fire sprang up at her feet to form a tight wall, blocking her path. Day retreated quickly, nearly singed. She glanced down at her puny stick; some good a sliver of wood would do against fire.

"Attack or run away!" Toriel demanded, and with a wave, sent the wall of fire rocketing towards her. Day yelped in terror, dashing towards one of the side walls to avoid the oncoming attack. Flattened against it, she tried to plan some sort of strategy—if she could just slip behind Toriel, she could make it to that door…

Another set of fireballs were aimed towards her, and Day dove out of the way, sliding to safety a few feet away.

 _Now's the only chance!_ A voice in her head nagged, _Go! Run for the door!_

After leaping to her feet, Day broke into a run, trying to catch the exposed gap between Toriel and the wall. Fast as she was, Toriel was faster—she sidestepped, blocking the exit once again. Almost instinctively, Day drew back the stick to clear the way—

She skidded to a halt, realizing the thought that had just entered her mind.

… _No._

Toriel blinked, staring at the child with stick raised in preparation. But the blow never came.

"…What are you doing?"

Day slowly began to lower the stick, "… Miss Toriel…"

"I said attack or run away!"

She didn't—Day took a step backwards, standing squarely with Toriel. She continued to stare, unblinkingly.

Toriel scoffed in frustration, "What are you proving this way?!"

"… I won't fight you."

Toriel gave a start, "W-what?!"

Day held her gaze, "I won't hurt you."

The woman studied her, astounded, "… No, this— I'm not letting you go! So fight me or leave!"

Day held her ground.

Toriel frowned, then growled angrily, "I am warning you, child…" The fire in her hands flared up to several feet, "This is your last chance!"

Day tried to ignore the fact that she was shaking, and that all she wanted to do was give in and return upstairs, back to being pampered as Toriel's "child." Instead, she made her choice—and dropped the stick at her feet. She was now disarmed. It was Toriel's turn to attack.

Another wall of fire sprung up, and without warning, it accelerated towards her. Day closed her eyes, bracing herself for the oncoming flames.

It reached her—then parted in two, missing her completely. When the attack never came, Day opened her eyes, confused.

Toriel stared back at her, looking just as confused, but her face betrayed another trait. The anger had evaporated, leaving in its place… sadness?

She took a slow breath, and the fire in her hands began to shrink.

"… Day. I know you want to return home…" She took another breath, no longer meeting her eyes, "But… please, go back upstairs."

Day refused to move.

"I promise I will take good care of you, if you'll just go upstairs."

Day didn't doubt it—but she remained as she was.

Toriel's frown deepened, but her tone remained diligently positive, "I know we do not have much… but we can have a good life here, I know it!"

Now Day was frowning, but she could do nothing else.

"… Why are you making this so difficult?" Toriel asked, sounding almost deflated, "Just go back upstairs… please, Day…"

Tears had begun to sting at Day's eyes, and she quietly admitted, "M-Miss Toriel… it's getting harder and harder to tell you no…" She wrung her hands, "I… I have to go back home."

Toriel let the words sink in… and chuckled softly.

"… Pathetic, is it not?" she commented, "Hard as I try, I cannot save the life of even a single child."

Day felt a pang of sympathy, "I'm sorry, but I—"

"No, it's alright, I understand." Toriel folded her hands, no longer glowing with fire, "Besides, you would just be unhappy, trapped down here. The ruins are very small… once you get used to them. Believe me, I know." She tried to smile, but sighed instead, "It wouldn't be right for you to grow up in a place like this."

Toriel straightened up, took a deep breath, and gave in: "My expectations, my loneliness, my fear… for you, my child, I will put them aside."

Day couldn't stand this any longer—she rushed forward, tears streaming down her face, and hugged Toriel.

Toriel had expected the reaction; she knelt down, accepting the child with open arms.

"There there," she comforted, "It's alright, dear…"

Day buried her face into Toriel's robe, hiding her tears fruitlessly.

"I'm s-sorry—" she sniffled, "I didn't mean to—to make you upset—but I—I just really need to— to go back—"

"Shh…" She pet Day's hair lovingly, "I understand, dear… you don't need to explain. Calm yourself, it's quite alright…"

Her grip on Toriel's robe tightened, and she forced out the words, "I l-love y-you…"

Toriel stiffened, and after a moment of silence, let out a sniffle of her own.

"… And I love you, my child. That is why... I must let you go."

She gave Day another quick squeeze, then released her hold, "There now… don't cling. We must make this easy as possible for the both of us."

Day withdrew her arms unwillingly, rubbing her eyes with great fervor. When she looked up again, Toriel held out the stick.

"Here, you may need this."

When Day had received it, Toriel stepped back, trying to keep a brave face.

"Now… if you truly wish to leave the ruins, I will not stop you… However, when you do leave… please, do not come back." She managed a weary smile, "I hope you understand."

Day nodded, clutching the stick close to her chest in a vain attempt at confidence. She felt nothing of the sort.

Toriel took another long breath, then with great resolve, turned her back on Day.

As she disappeared down the hall, Day fought the overwhelming urge to follow. It wasn't too late to go back—she could still stay with Toriel! Who knows, maybe she _could_ get used to the ruins; it was worth a shot! But her legs followed her earlier decision: she stayed.

Only once did Toriel look back. Her eyes were moist, and she seemed to be fighting the same urges as Day.

Slowly, she forced herself into a small, sad smile.

"Goodbye, Day."

Without another glance, Toriel disappeared around the bend.

Day was alone again. She stared down the hallway a while longer, then when she could manage it, turned towards the door.

Well… there was nowhere else to go but forward. She set a hand on the door and gave a push—it opened with a creek, revealing nothing but darkness beyond it.

Day took one last look at the ruins behind her—this was it.

She followed Toriel's example and took a deep breath—air filled her lungs, clearing her head, and determination surged through her veins. Day entered whatever lied ahead—and the doors closed behind her.

* * *

"Well well well…"

Day halted in her tracks—she'd been walking for nearly a minute in complete silence before the voice sounded. And to her horror… she was sure she recognized it.

Ahead of her was a small patch of grass, bathed in sunlight—and within it beamed Flowey.

She held tightly to her stick, expecting another barrage of "friendliness pellets" to be sent her way. Instead, the flower cackled at her.

"Clever, veeeeeerry clever… You think you're really smart, don'tcha?"

Day stayed as far away as possible, watching him fearfully; Toriel wasn't there to save her, this time. What was she going to do?!

Flowey's only interest seemed to lie in taunting, "You really are an idiot: in this world, it's _kill_ or _be killed!_ You think you're so smart because you were able to spare the life of a single person…" He giggled fiercely, "So you think playing by your _own_ rules is gonna solve everything? Hee hee…! I bet you feel _so_ good about yourself!"

Day didn't answer—she continued to tremble silently, unable to find the words to beg for her safety.

Flowey grinned, his gaze seeming to mercilessly _taking root_ in the depths of her soul, "So you didn't kill anybody _this time_ … but what are you gonna do when you meet a _relentless_ killer?" His grin became feral, and he madly cackled, " _YOU'LL DIE AND YOU'LL DIE AND YOU'LL DIE AND DIE DIE DIE! AHAHAHAHA! You'll die until you tire of trying!"_

His voice still echoing, he continued in a gleeful tone, "And then what will you do? Will you _kill_ out of frustration? Or… will you give up entirely, and let _me_ inherit the power to control it all?"

Day internally protested, but the bravery remained a silent expression.

Flowey seemed to be growing bored of her silence, so he concluded with a final giggle, "I am the _true_ prince of this world's future, and _I_ will determine its fate! Oh, but don't you worry, my little monarch—my plan isn't regicide! This is so—"

"What?"

"… What?"

Day was surprised she'd spoken up, "Um… w-what is… what's th-that mean?"

"What's _what_ mean?" he snapped.

"Regicide."

Flowey rolled his eyes, "Don't you know anything?"

Day didn't reply.

The flower made a sound of exasperation, "It means killing… a certain kind of royal person. I'm not gonna tell you anything else, so there! Ha!" He regained his malicious grin, "But it doesn't even matter, because _my_ plan is so much more interesting!" After another hearty cackle, Flowey disappeared down into the grass.

Day relaxed only slightly—Flowey had a point. Things were only going to get more difficult from there… and more dangerous, on her own. She had to be more careful and less timid; no one was going to just walk up, shake her hand and declare her a friend. She had to stay on her guard if she wanted to make it home in one piece.

Her nerves still tight, Day mumbled a quick, inaudible prayer to herself as she'd seen others do; she needed confidence from any and every source she could find.

"Well…" she whispered to herself, "Time to go."

* * *

 ** _There were a lot of puns in this, huh? I feel like the closer we get to Sans, the more I subconsciously stick in puns, as if in preparation... ;)_**

 ** _But anyway, thank you for reading! (And shout-out to the site Mentalfloss for their fabulous snail facts)._**


	6. This is Snow Laughing Matter!

_**What? Another chapter in less than a month? What is this Christmas madness?!**_

 _ **But really- time to bring in my two favorite characters. ^-^ Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

The doors thundered shut behind Day.

 _Well, no going back, now.  
_

Almost immediately, Day shivered; the ground was coated in a thin layer of snow, flattened in the middle to form a crude pathway. She surveyed her surroundings, but saw only trees, so slender and tall that she could hardly glimpse the top.

Her breath wisped out like smoke, so Day channeled it into her hands, rubbing them together for warmth. Truth be told, it wasn't _that_ cold—she figured if she walked fast enough, she'd find somewhere to stop eventually. Keeping her eyes on the path ahead, Day entered the dark, icy forest.

The only sound came from the crunch of snow beneath her shoes—there were no birds, no hum of insects, not even a breeze. The entire area felt… _dead._

Day nearly tripped over a branch in the center of the path, and passed it without consideration. Hopefully she'd run across someone soon; she had no idea where to go, but the sooner she got out of this eerie forest, the better.

 _CRACK!_

The sound made her halt—it came from behind her. She turned slowly…

The branch was broken in two.

"… H-hello?" she called out meekly, half hoping no one would answer.

She got her wish; there was only the return of silence. Day's pace quickened drastically.

"Don't worry," she whispered to herself reassuringly, "It's just your imagination… you must've broken it and not realized you did. Maybe that sound was just snow falling off one of the trees…"

Hearing the words out loud made them seem more credible, and Day relaxed a bit. She swung her trusty stick as she walked, and eyes no longer glued ahead, let her gaze browse the wall of trees that lined the path. Each gap only revealed another row of trees, or shadows that stretched back endlessly. She reasoned that as long as she stuck to the path, she'd avoid getting lost well enough.

Assuming she wasn't lost already.

Day turned her attention back to the path—but not soon after, she glimpsed something dash through the trees out the corner of her eye. She halted, trying to spot the person (or thing) that had moved. All she made out was a flash of blue: no shape, no recognizable features.

Whatever was out there, it was following her.

Day abandoned reason completely: she spun on her heels and _ran._

Dashing through the snow, she was determined not to look back in fear of what she'd see. The cold air whipped past her face, and Day panted in exertion, searching for some sort of sign that she was close to safety. The forest just kept on going, surrounding her on both sides, closing in.

Just as she had begun to lose hope, something appeared on the path ahead: it looked like a gate of some sort, with gaping holes all throughout. When she got closer, Day realized it framed a small wooden bridge, beneath which a dark, inky river sloshed against the icy banks. She skidded to a halt, distrustful of the bridge's stability; there were just as many holes in the wooden paneling as the attempted "gate" which surrounded it.

Trying in vain to catch her breath, Day searched desperately for an escape, eyes darting around like a cornered animal. She had to keep running—or whatever was following her—it would catch up—and—

The crunch of footsteps started faintly, at an even pace, and grew steadily louder, closer. Day didn't dare look back; she clutched the stick with both hands, trembling from fear and cold, staring down at her shoes. If she didn't look at it, maybe it would go away… she just had to stay quiet, stay still…

 _Crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch…_ The steps continued, louder, closer. They had to be no more than a few feet away, now.

"P-please, go away…" she begged, no more than a breath, "Please… don't hurt me… P-please…"

 _Crunch-crunch… crunch… crunch…_

They stopped. Silence…

Then, a long, rattling exhale. Day could feel the heat of it down her neck.

"Human."

She shuddered at the voice—it was right behind her.

"Don't you know… how to greet… a new pal?" The voice was low and drawn-out, and despite its words, did _not_ sound friendly. By comparison, the bridge no longer seemed intimidating, but Day was too petrified to flee.

"Turn around," it told her, "And shake… my… hand."

 _NOPE. No no no, absolutely not. No thank you._

Terrified as she was, Day was more terrified of what could happen should she choose to disobey the monster's demands.

Shaking, Day wrenched the stick from one of her hands; then, mustering what little courage she had left, the girl cast her gaze down and turned. When her hand made contact with something, she involuntarily looked up—and her heart leapt into her throat.

With a wide, toothy grin and eyeless sockets, it stared back at her.

She stood face-to-face with a skeleton.

There was an odd, flatulent sound between the two of them, but Day was too shocked to react.

The skeleton's shoulders rocked as he chuckled, "Heheh… the ol' whoopee cushion in the hand trick. Always funny."

Indeed, upon examination, Day spotted the pink rubber poking out from their clasped hands—and nearly fainted when she saw those long, thin finger bones enclosed around hers. His grip was freezing.

While he continued to laugh at her expense, Day fearfully studied the skeleton. He was only a head taller than she, but considerably… _larger,_ in regard to width. He wore a puffy blue jacket, the hood rimmed with coarse gray fur, and to completely offset it, black shorts. Day was also surprised to see a pair of fluffy, bright-pink slippers on his feet.

"Anyway," he said, causing her head to fly up attentively, "You're a human, right?"

Day nodded nervously, unsure what the confession would mean for her safety.

He just laughed, "That's hilarious."

Why, she wasn't sure, but Day didn't plan to question him. There were two white dots floating in his empty sockets, giving the impression of pupils, and every so often he seemed to blink—how that could be accomplished without lids was beyond her.

The skeleton eventually released her hand, stuffing the both of his inside jacket pockets. "Well since you asked, I'll introduce myself: I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton. I'm sure you couldn't've figured out that last part for yourself."

Day only nodded, latching onto the stick with a death-grip.

He stared at her in silence for a moment, "… Y'know, most of the time, this is a two-person thing. Like, I say "my name is Sans," and you answer by saying your name is…"

There was another awkward silence. She couldn't find her voice.

Sans shrugged, "Well if you don't want to, that's fine too."

She shrunk into her sweater a bit, but he continued on, no less casual.

"Actually, I'm supposed to be on the lookout for humans right now," he commented, almost teasingly, "But lucky for you, I don't really _feel_ like capturing anybody. Too much work on my part."

An stab of fear struck her: _capturing?_

Sans didn't notice her expression, "Now, my brother Papyrus on the other hand… he's a human hunting _fanatic._ " He gave her a look, "Actually, that gives me an idea. You think you could help me out, a second?"

She didn't dare refuse: Day nodded hesitantly.

"Thanks—go ahead and go through that gate thing ahead of you." He gestured to it carelessly, "Yeah, you can go right through—my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

Day gave the bridge a cautionary glance, and sent him one just as skeptical.

"What? You frozen, kid?"

She shook her head, and no longer stalling, crossed the rickety bridge. It swayed every which way, and Day did her best not to stumble into the stream below.

When she was almost to the other side, one of the panels buckled suddenly, making her jump back in surprise—it sent her directly into Sans.

"Hey!" He brought her to a halt, "You mind warning me, before you try that again?"

"S-sorry!" she blurted frantically, rushing to refill the gap between them.

"Oh, so you can talk," he commented, then shrugged passively, "And forget about it—it's _water under the bridge,_ already."

Day paused: _Did… did the skeleton just make a joke?_

He grinned, "Oh come on, that was a good one."

She managed a short nod, then finished crossing the bridge, waiting timidly on the opposite shore.

"Alright," Sans said, joining her. He pointed towards something in the distance, "You see that conveniently-shaped lamp? Go hide behind it."

She nodded and hurriedly complied, running for the object he'd pointed out. The lamp sat erect in the snow, just off the patch, the same height as she. In fact, as she positioned herself behind it, Day realized that is was practically the same shape, too, and as a result, hid her perfectly.

 _That's convenient._

Suddenly, from the opposite end of the path, the snow began to crunch rapidly—someone was coming. Day ducked behind the lamp, watching cautiously.

A strange sound had begun, and it grew in volume and intensity as the source drew closer. To Day, it almost sounded like:

"…saaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!"

The speaker rocketed out of the shadows, heading straight for Sans, who didn't seem compelled to move in the slightest. Then, just as suddenly, the blur skidded to a halt mere inches in front of the stout skeleton, and Day could make out the monster—she stifled a gasp.

Sans grinned at him, "Hey, bro. What's up?"

The other skeleton scowled, "You know what is _up_ , brother! It has been eight days, and you still haven't _recalibrated. Your. PUZZLES!"_

Now there were two of them. Day was doomed.

The second skeleton was considerably taller than Sans, and didn't seem at all dressed for the cold weather. He wore an odd white shirt—it was large and stuck out like a suit of armor—adorned with a bright orange badge. He had tall red boots, large red mittens, and a lengthy red scarf around his neck. His arms were crossed devoutly at his chest, looking horribly displeased.

"I haven't? Are you sure?" Sans asked.

"Yes I am sure! I checked them only minutes ago! Maybe they would be fixed if you didn't lie around your station all day! What are you even doing?!"

"Oh, you know… just staring at this lamp." Sans gestured to the area Day was hiding, seeming to make direct eye-contact, "It's pretty cool. You wanna look too?"

Day shook her head furiously—was he _trying_ to give her away?!

"No!" the other protested angrily, stomping the ground with a foot, "I don't have _time_ for that! What if a human comes through here, Sans? I want to be ready for them!"

She slunk back behind the lamp, no longer watching, at the risk of being seen.

"I will be the one!" he continued passionately, "I _must_ be the one! I will capture a human! Then I, the Great Papyrus, will get all the things I utterly deserve! Respect! Recognition! I will finally be able to join the royal guard!" He posed in a Shakespearean-like manner, speaking rapidly, "People will finally ask to be my… friend!"

At that, Day poked her head out, slightly. For some reason, he was a bit less… scary, now.

Papyrus wasn't finished yet—with arm extended, head tilted towards the heavens, he finished his dramatic monologue, "I will never suffer a deficiency of affection! I will always have someone to talk to—why, I will _bathe_ in a shower of kisses every morning!"

Slowly, she felt a smile creep onto her face, and Day just managed to withhold a giggle.

Sans wasn't nearly as enraptured, "Hm… well, maybe if you talk to this lamp, it will help you…"

Papyrus gave him an unamused expression, "SANS. You are not helping, lazybones!" He crossed his arms once again and huffed, "All you do is laze around! Why, you get lazier and lazier every day! You— you— you _boondoggler!"_

Sans held up his hands in defense, "Hey now, easy with the language, Pap. You never know who's listening." He offered Day a wink, "And besides, I've gotten a _ton_ of work done today…"

Papyrus looked skeptical, "Oh have you?"

"Yeah… a skele _ton."_

Day clasped a hand over her mouth, stifling a snicker, but Papyrus was nowhere near as tickled.

" _SANS!"_ he shouted, clearly annoyed by the pun.

Sans just beamed, proud of himself, "Come on, you're smiling."

"I am and I hate it," he pouted, frowning deeply in an attempt to rid himself of the split-second smile. A second later, he sighed, "Why does someone as great as me have to do so much just to get a little recognition? Oh, alas…"

Sans offered a click of sympathy, "Wow… it sounds like you're really working yourself… _down to the bone._ "

The giggle escaped Day before she could resist—she quickly shoved both hands over her mouth, hoping she wasn't heard.

Sans had risked a glance over, but Papyrus remained oblivious.

"Ugh!" he growled, "Never mind! I will attend to my puzzles, nevertheless! And as for your… "work"…" He stared down at Sans harshly, then at the last second, broke into a stubborn grin, "Put a little more _backbone_ into it, brother!"

Before Sans had a chance to top the pun, Papyrus dashed off, cackling all the way.

Sans chuckled to himself, "Nice one, bro…" He repocketed his hands and called out, "Okay kid, you can come out now."

Day ventured out cautiously; she no longer held the stick as a lifeline, but she wasn't quite ready for another "friendly" handshake.

"You oughtta get going," he told her, "He might come back. And if he does, well… then you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

She nodded meekly, but had only made it a few feet down the path when he cut in front, stopping her in her tracks.

"Hey," he said, "Hate to bug you, but could you do me another favor?"

Day tilted her head to the side to inquire for more information.

"I was thinkin'… my brother's been kinda down lately, as you mighta been able to tell. He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might… y'know, _lift his spirits._ Oh, and don't worry, he's not dangerous… even if he _tries_ to be." He smiled, "You up to it?"

She wasn't exactly in the mood to be captured, but then again, she wasn't in the mood to make him angry, either. What's the worst that could happen? Day nodded in agreement.

Sans seemed satisfied, "Thanks a million, kid. I'll be up ahead." At that, he strolled off… in the opposite direction.

Day watched in confusion as he disappeared into the darkness. _I thought he said he was going… ahead?_

Ultimately, Day decided it would be best not to question him. She continued down the path, a bit nervous at the prospect of encountering Papyrus on her own. Then again, he was much less intimidating than his brother…

* * *

The trees became smaller and gained branches of green pine leaves, blanketed in snow. In the distance, Day thought she heard the rushing water of a stream (she was surprised it wasn't frozen over in this weather), and at last, the still silence of the forest was broken by a light breath of wind. It made Day even colder than she already was, but the change in atmosphere was well worth it.

Once or twice, a small creature would scuttle out into the path, but as soon as it was spotted, the monster dashed back into the trees. Somehow, Day doubted it was a simple squirrel she was seeing, but if they were anything like the one-eyed monster she'd had the pleasure of meeting in the ruins, then maybe it was best an encounter was never made.

The snow was deeper now; her shoes sunk a few inches, but it wasn't too much of a challenge to traverse. In any other situation, Day would probably take the time to form a few snow-angels. Still, she kept moving, humming quietly to herself.

The path curved gently, and after a few feet, Day heard voices conversing. She kept walking and soon came across Papyrus—to her surprise and confusion, Sans was with him.

"Are you quite sure, Sans?" Papyrus questioned, "Perhaps it was just a funny-looking snowdrake?"

"No, it had to be human," Sans replied, "Definitely not a snowdrake. I'm sure if we wait here a little longer, it'll turn up again—" He stopped as soon as she approached.

"What?" Papyrus asked, "What's the matter, Sa—" He too spotted Day, and gasped.

For a moment, the three stared at each other in silent awe.

Slowly, Papyrus knelt down to his brother's level, and with sockets wide in amazement, tugged at Sans' sleeve.

"Oh my God… S-Sans?!" he stammered, "Is that… a _human?!"_

"Hm…" Sans pondered this question, then concluded, "Nah, I think that's a rock."

Day had no idea what he was talking about.

Papyrus seemed deflated, "Oh…"

Sans wasted no time, "Say… what's that _in front_ of the rock?"

She turned to confirm this: indeed, there was a small rock a few feet away. _Oh. That makes more sense._

Papyrus studied her, and once again, gasped in shock.

He crept even closer to Sans and confided in a loud whisper, "Is it a human?"

"Yes," Sans responded in the same manner.

With a shriek, Papyrus sprung to his feet, " _Oh my god! Sans, I did it! I finally did it! I found a human!"_ He was grinning widely, nearly dancing with joy, "Undyne will… I'm gonna… I'll be so… _popular!"_ Papyrus practically leapt into the air at this, and repeated with greater enthusiasm, " _So very popular!"_

Day was smiling, and so was Sans- when he realized this, Papyrus calmed, regaining his composure.

"Ahem… Human!" he announced in a commanding tone, "You shall not pass this area! I, the Great Papyrus, will stop you! And then I will capture you! You will then be delivered to the capital! And then… then…" He stopped, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Then… I'm not sure what comes next, actually. In any case!"

Striking a heroic pose, scarf flapping majestically in the breeze, he concluded, "Human, continue only if you dare! Nyeheheheh!"

With that, Papyrus dashed off to prepare his puzzles, leaving Day alone with Sans once again.

He chuckled, "Well, that went well."

Day offered a timid smile in agreement.

"I'd better go with him—y'know, to keep him out of trouble," Sans said, then added, "And hey, don't sweat it—I'll keep an _eye socket_ out for you, kid."

When he'd gone, Day allowed herself to giggle—they were a nice change of pace from Flowey, anyway. She could get used to this.

Day rubbed her hands together, then hid them in her sleeves in an attempt to keep out the chill. She followed after the brothers, deeper into the forest.

* * *

 _ **So many puns, so little time... The next one is going to have a bunch of puzzles and tomfoolery, so get ready! ;)**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**_


	7. Puzzling Predicaments & Peculiar Petting

_**Okay, hear me out: I just need to give a forewarning. It wouldn't be fair to just hit you with something like this... Okay, here it goes...**_

 _ ***deep intake of breath***_

 _ **There will be... so many painful puns in this chapter. So. Many. Most as compliments of Sans. If I remember to go back and count, I'll include the number here:**_

 _ ***eighteen puns in all. I am a monster. I am so, so very sorry.***_

 _ **Brace yourself, brave reader. Embrace the determination... and I hope you enjoy the chapter! ;)**_

* * *

"Halt!"

Day leapt a few inches into the air, taken off guard by the sudden command. There was no one on the path, and the only thing she spotted amongst the excess of snow and trees was a beat-up wooden stand of some sort. Posted on the front in almost illegible writing were the words "Absolutely NO moving!"

Curious, she approached the seemingly empty stand, and spotted a rusty call bell on the countertop.

 _Hm… ringing the bell wouldn't take *too* much movement…_

Day decided not to tempt fate and instead moved to pass the stand—

She hadn't taken so much as a step when something began to rustle from within, and in a furry white blur, the stand's guard popped up on alert.

"Who's there?" he barked, "Did something move? I swear I saw something move!"

The guard stuck his nose out of the stand to sniff at the air, allowing Day to see him clearly.

The speaker was a tall, scruffy dog; narrow eyes poked out from a black mask, and he thoughtfully chewed a dog biscuit between his teeth.

His nose twitched sporadically, "Hm… something definitely moved…" The dog crawled out from his post, poised on his haunches for attack, "And if something did move… like a _human_ … I'll make sure it never moves again!"

In a flash, he whipped out a pair of long daggers, lowering into a fighting stance.

Day flattened herself against the front of the stand, watching with bated breath.

The dog's eyes darted from side to side, and with a series of barks, flailed his daggers in a wild manner.

"Will it move now?" he wondered aloud, stabbing the empty air, "Come out, moving thing! You cannot hide from Doggo!"

He dropped down to all fours, sniffing the ground for any sign of her. It led him to the stand, then around the back—Day took the opportunity to climb up on top of the counter, no longer in danger of being sniffed out.

Sure enough, Doggo passed by none the wiser, then with a growl of frustration, rose onto his hind legs directly in front of the stand.

"Hm… I was sure I saw something…" He absently scratched an ear with the hilt of his dagger, "Is someone playing a prank on me again? I hate it when they do that!" With a brief whimper, he lamented, "I'm a royal guardsman… er, royal guards… dog, too! It's not fair!"

Feeling sorry for him, Day reached out and gave the dog a brief pat on the head.

Doggo yelped and spun around, "Something pet me! Something that doesn't move!" The poor thing looked like he was having a mental crisis, "This is weird… Ooohh… I think I need some dog treats…" He dove back into his stand, and Day vacated it simultaneously. It would probably be best to leave the nervous canine be.

She could still hear him muttering as she ambled on: "Scary not-moving things… Doggo will not be bested by this invisible petting monster!..."

* * *

"Sans, you are so lazy!" Papyrus' voice carried far over the snow, so Day found the brothers long before she actually saw them.

"Really? What would give you that idea?"

"Well for one of several reasons, you were napping all night long! You didn't get any work done!"

Sans gave him a look, "Uh… I'm pretty sure that's called "sleeping"."

Papyrus scoffed, "Excuses, excuses! Why, if you keep loafing around like this, we'll never capture the human! And I'll never become a member of the royal guard!"

"Hey, don't be like that… you'll make captain, bro."

His face brightened drastically, "Really? But how do you know that?"

"Well, for one, the human's here."

Day stared at them from across the way, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.

"Oh-ho! The human arrives!" Papyrus announced, springing to attention. "I was just beginning to wonder if you were coming or not! Anyway: human! In order to stop you, my brother and I have created a series of puzzles, each more challenging than the last! You will be no match for their utter complexity! As for the first puzzle… I think you will find it quite "shocking"!" He guffawed at his own joke.

Day searched for the puzzle he was referring to, but found nothing.

Seeing her confusion, Sans explained, "It's an invisible maze puzzle."

" _Sans! I wanted to be the one to explain it!"_ Papyrus blurted, "And besides, you're wrong. It's not just an invisible maze puzzle—it's an _electric_ invisible maze puzzle! The electric part is very important! Now, as I was _going_ to explain: this puzzle is especially tricky! For you see, if you touch the walls of the invisible maze, this orb—" He revealed a shiny blue sphere, "—Will administer a hearty zap! Sound like fun?"

Day shook her head.

"Well, that's because it probably won't be! The amount of fun you'll have will be rather small, I think!" Papyrus positioned his hands on his hips, "Okay! You can go ahead now!"

Day swallowed, studying the area in front of her meticulously; she didn't see any sign of a wall… How was she supposed to know where to walk? She glanced over at Sans, who offered only a quick thumbs-up. She wasn't reassured.

As a test, Day extended her stick into the space in front of her, searching blindly for one of the invisible walls—

" _YEEEEEEOWIE!"_ Papyrus suddenly screeched, bolts of yellow electricity engulfing his body at an alarming rate. Day retreated, and the current abruptly died. The skeleton was silent for a moment, stunned.

Day covered her mouth with a gasp, "Are… you okay?"

Sans didn't seem nearly as concerned, and nudged his brother, "Well… that was definitely _shocking."_

"SANS! What did you do?!" Papyrus demanded furiously.

He remained relaxed, noticeably smirking, "I think the human has to hold the orb… so, y'know, they'll be the one getting the shock."

 _Glad he's on my side._

Papyrus blinked, "Oh. That does make sense. Wait just a minute, human!"

With that, he made his way across the empty space, but in an odd manner. He zigzagged rather than taking a direct route, and thereby etched an odd path in the snow until he reached Day.

"Here," he urged, kneeling down and holding out the orb to her, "Can you take this, please?"

Day received it without complaint, and as soon as it left his mittens, Papyrus hurried back to the opposite side of the maze, following the same winding path. Once he was properly positioned, he became attentive again. "Okay, you can try again, now!"

She attempted to balance the weighty orb in her hands along with the stick, which stuck out awkwardly to one side, and glanced again at the tracks left by Papyrus.

Yes, it took her a second, but eventually Day made a stunning revelation; if she walked along those same steps, she could avoid the electric walls!

Still cautious, Day ventured out into the maze, matching the footsteps left behind by Papyrus. To her relief, there was no sudden electrocution like the one she'd accidentally inflicted, so with labored steadiness, Day maneuvered her way through the maze.

As painstakingly long as it took (or so it felt to her), by the time she made it to the brothers, both seemed impressed.

"Incredible!" Papyrus exclaimed, "You have succeeded—you slippery snail, you!"

Day simply held out the orb, disguising a proud smile.

"I got it," Sans offered, taking the orb from her and tucking it in his pocket, "Kid sure knows what she's doing, huh?"

"Indeed!" Papyrus agreed, "The human solved it so easily! Perhaps… too easily…"

His tone was suspicious, but it only lasted for a second; he grinned and continued, "Do not get too confident in your fabulous puzzle-solving abilities, though! The next puzzle has been carefully designed by my brilliant brother, Sans! You will surely be confounded by it—I know I am! Nyeheheheh!"

Papyrus began to run off eagerly, only just remembering to stop and call back, "Come, brother! We need to make sure your puzzle is perfectly ready!"

"Alright, I'm coming. Don't lose your head." He turned to follow his brother, who was already several feet down the path. Sans was clearly in no mood to hurry, and after only a few steps, he seemed to give up.

"And… now he's gone." He exhaled, "He's gonna run himself right off a cliff, someday… and it'll all go _downhill_ from there."

At first, the joke went right over her head, so Day offered a short laugh as compensation.

Sans glanced back at her, "What's the hold up? Look, just in case you're worried, lemme tell you… there's nothing to be afraid of down here. It's just a dark, scary cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters."

 _Thanks, Sans._

Her face must've displayed the inner disapproval, because Sans simply chuckled and moved on.

 _… I think I like Papyrus a little better,_ was the thought that immediately entered her mind. She scolded herself a bit, knowing it wasn't a very nice thing to declare, but… Well. Maybe it was the fact that the most recent thing to laugh at her expense that much had shortly after pelted her with flying white pellets of pain.

Oh well. Hopefully there weren't too many puzzles left up ahead.

* * *

"Heads up!"

No sooner had she comprehended the warning than a glowing blue object came speeding towards her, too fast to make out.

Day made a sound of terror, frozen in place. The object sealed its distance quickly—then whizzed right through her as if it was nothing.

"Wha—" She spun around, and sure enough, the blue snowball landed with a "plop!" on the ground behind her, losing its glow upon impact.

"Hey, looks like you're a natural at blue attacks," Sans commented, revealing himself as the opponent.

 _Did he just try to hit me with a snowball?_ She questioned, hoping the angry tone that accompanied it wasn't betrayed by her expression.

"See, I was going to just explain it to you first," he told her, "But this turned out to be a lot easier on my part." Sans reached down to scoop up another handful of snow, "In case you're confused, some guys out here will try to use blue attacks when they fight you. All you gotta do to avoid them is not move. Wanna know an easy way to remember it?"

Without waiting for her answer, he continued, "Think of a stop sign. They're red, right? You see a stop sign and you stop. Simple enough. Now imagine that stop sign is blue. So all you have to do is think of blue stop signs. Got it?"

Day nodded uncertainly, wishing he'd made the tip a little simpler.

"Here, let's practice." Sans whipped another snowball at her—but this one made full impact with her stomach.

"Ow!" she blurted. _Why didn't it work?_

Sans was snickering, "See, now that one wasn't blue; it was just a regular one. So you should've moved. Lesson learned, right?"

She frowned, then grimly dusted the snow powder off her sweater. He could've given her a warning, at least… The dull pain in her stomach was heightened by the cold—it wasn't awful, just sore. He hadn't held back.

When she glanced up again, Sans was directly in front of her. Day backed up, expecting another attack.

"Hey kid, I was just joking. Probably shouldn't've pegged you so hard…" He tried to smile apologetically, "Didn't break anything, did I?"

What, break something in her stomach? That would've been impressive. Day shook her head.

"Alright, that's good." He pocketed his hands, "Anyway, there's something up here a little further you might wanna see, if you don't mind tagging along—and don't worry, I'm not gonna make you practice blue attacks, again." Sans seemed to reconsider the words shortly after, "… Not for a while, anyway."

Day pondered it… then decided to give him the benefit of the doubt—she nodded (but remained on constant alert for more flying snowballs).

"Cool. It's over this way." He led them towards a fork in the road, choosing the leftmost path. Day followed at a distance, trailing a few feet behind him. Sans didn't comment on it.

After a minute or so of walking in silence, they came across a monster running a white food cart, adorned with a yellow and red striped umbrella. The monster was slouching over the food cart's handle, looking discouraged: he seemed to be some sort of blue rabbit, possessing a pair of long ears and a bright red nose.

"Hey Kev," Sans greeted as they approached, "How's business?"

The monster glanced up and offered an unconvincing smile, "Oh, hello Sans. Business is… well, slow." His smile wore off and he sighed, "I don't understand why these aren't selling. It's the perfect weather for something cold!"

"Beats me, pal," Sans replied, "But hey, look what I found wandering around near the ruins." He gestured back towards Day, who was watching from a distance.

Kevin's eyes widened, "Whoa… that's a human, isn't it?" His smile returned, "Man, I never thought I'd see one of those in real life."

Sans waved her over, "Come on kid, Kev won't bite you. He might try to sell you something though—that's just as bad."

While Kevin laughed at this, Day joined them hesitantly, deciding to keep the stick concealed behind her back.

"Kev here sells nice cream," Sans told her.

"Nice cream?"

"Oh, it's just like ice cream," Kevin jumped in to clarify, "But instead of having a joke inside of the wrapper like a lot of brands do, it has something nice written on it! You know, to keep everyone cheered up, down here."

"Plus, there's a pun in the title, so you know it's gotta be good," Sans added, "You want one?"

Day felt the heat rise to her cheeks; she didn't exactly have money to toss around. Or at all. But Kevin was watching her eagerly… she avoided his gaze, not sure how to admit it.

"Um…" Her voice was almost inaudible, "I… I don't actually have any…"

"You could always check again," Sans suggested before she could finish the phrase.

Day gave him a skeptical look, but humored the suggestion anyway—and to her astonishment, pulled out a small collection of golden coins.

 _… Those were definitely not there before._

"So what do ya recommend, Kev?" Sans asked for her, seeing that Day had been stunned into silence.

"Well, let me see…" Kevin dug around inside the food cart and withdrew a small wrapped treat, "This one's called a Chocolate Lava Splash. It's frozen on the outside, but on the inside, the chocolate is melted and stays warm even in this weather!"

 _Can't argue with that._ Day nodded and handed him the coins, and he in return gave her the treat.

"Thanks for your business! That's my first sale this week!" He was beaming widely, "I hope you enjoy!"

"Thank you," she replied, happy to see his mood improved.

"Alright kid, let's keep going—Pap's probably wondering where you ran off to." He offered a brief wave, "Don't spend all the profits in one place, Kev."

Kevin laughed, "Sure, Sans. Tell Papyrus hello for me, would you?"

"Got it."

Day unwrapped the nice cream as they walked and took a cautionary lick—

"I'm guessing you like it, huh?"

She couldn't answer; the small circular treat was halfway in her mouth.

Sans snickered, "I'll take that as a yes."

Day dislodged the nice cream to ask, "How did you do that?"

"How'd I do what?"

"You made that money appear in my pocket."

"Really? You think I did that?"

She smiled, proud of her deduction, "Yes."

Sans scoffed, "Well… I'm not so sure I should tell you…"

Day shrugged passively, enjoying her chocolate dessert instead.

"… Okay, since you insisted," Sans gave in, "I guess if I had _wanted_ to pull a stunt like that, I'd be able to. See, humans are mostly made up of physically matter like water and carbon and stuff. Monsters are mostly magic. So we can do awesome things like that. You might even say that magic _runs through our veins_." He cast a glance down at his bony fingers, "… Some of us more figuratively than others."

Day couldn't follow all of his explanation, but made an impressed sound anyway, "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah?" Sans slowed to allow her to catch up, "Heh, that's not something you hear a lot in a world full of monsters." He nodded towards the opposite path in the fork, "We're going this way, next. Don't wanna keep Papyrus waiting for too long."

She nodded in agreement, and they set off together. The nice cream didn't help against the cold at first, but by the time she got to the molten center, it improved greatly, so she didn't complain.

"Hey," Sans spoke up, "D'you see that weird outfit my bro's wearing? The boots and the cape-scarf thing?"

She nodded.

"We made that a couple weeks back for a costume party—guess he really likes how it turned out, because he hasn't taken it off since. Keeps calling it his "battle body."" He chuckled, "Man… isn't my brother cool?"

Day smiled, "Yes."

"Course he is." He peered over, "Hey, what wrapper did'ja get?"

"Wrapper?"

"Yeah, they all have different sayings on them."

Day retrieved it from her pocket and examined it: there was a small depiction of two bunny-like creatures embracing each other. Beneath the image in small red print was a description that read "*It's an illustration of a hug*"."

"Aw… that's cute," she commented.

"Wow, another full sentence," Sans joked, "You're being awfully chatty, all of a sudden. Guess you're finally starting to _warm up_ to me despite the weather, huh?"

Day laughed and pocketed the wrapper alongside Toriel's note.

Sans seemed to be enjoying the audience, "Y'know, this is a lot more fun with someone to laugh at the jokes. Normally Papyrus doesn't find them quite so _humerus."_

She giggled again, and it only egged him on further; he went into pun-overdrive.

"Sure we might be skeletons, but he's missing his _funny bone,_ big time. No matter how _rib-tickling_ I make them, the jokes always seem to _get under his skin._ Oh, but I can _see right through him:_ deep down, I think he likes them. I can feel it in my _bones."_

Day was laughing hysterically, but before he could continue, someone yelled at them from afar.

" _Sans! I can hear your terrible puns from all the way over here!"_

Papyrus seemed exceedingly vexed by the time he saw them in full.

Sans rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, they're not that bad… _throw me a bone,_ will ya?"

"NO SANS. Now come on—we need to explain the puzzle to the human!"

"Well, good luck kid," he muttered in passing, "This one's a real _puzzler._ "

"I can still hear the puns, Sans!"

Day held back another giggle. She wiped remaining chocolate off on her pants and prepared to listen to Papyrus' instructions.

He waited for Sans to join him, then began, "Now, human! As for this next very elaborate and impressive—" He stopped, confused, "… Sans?! Where is the puzzle?!"

"It's right there on the ground. Don't you see it?"

Both Papyrus and Day carefully studied the area he'd pointed to; indeed, there was something other than snow there.

Papyrus frowned, "Are you sure? That doesn't look very impressive."

"Trust me," he assured, "There's absolutely no way the human can get past this one."

Day accepted the challenge. She approached the object and discovered it was nothing but a piece of paper, so she collected it without much caution.

"She's reading it!" She heard Papyrus tell his brother in an excited whisper, "It's working!"

Day held up the sheet to read it—then immediately brought it closer to her face, determined not to let them see her laughing.

Oh, it was a fool-proof puzzle alright… a _crossword_ puzzle.

 _Should I pretend it stopped me? That would be kind of hard to fake for so long… And I don't have a pencil or anything to solve it with… Maybe the real puzzle is figuring out what I'm supposed to do instead of solving the puzzle._

Eventually, she lowered the paper, apparently signaling its defeat.

Papyrus gasped, flabbergasted, "Sans! That didn't do anything!"

"Whoops. You're right. Man, I knew I should've used today's crossword puzzle instead of yesterday's."

Papyrus wheeled on him, " _Crossword?! I cannot believe you, Sans!"_

Day took a step back: maybe she should've pretended to be stuck for a minute longer…

"In _my_ personal opinion… junior jumble is easily the hardest!"

She let out a breath, relieved she hadn't ignited some vicious argument.

Sans scoffed, "What? That easy-peasy word scramble? Psh, that's for baby bones, bro."

Papyrus huffed, "Un. Be. Lieveable. Fortunately, I know just how to solve this conundrum—HUMAN!"

Day flinched, dropping the paper in surprise—she wasn't expecting to be addressed so severely.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" Papyrus apologized profusely, "You look scared still—you're not scared, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered sincerely.

"Okay, good! Anyway, I was just going to ask you to tell us which one you think is harder: crosswords or junior jumble! What do you think?"

Day noticed that Sans had made a discreet nod towards his brother, then repeated it with great deliberation. She understood the message: he wanted her to agree with Papyrus.

"I think… probably junior jumble?" she suggested, hoping it sounded convincing enough.

"Ha! You see Sans?" he bragged proudly, "The human agrees with me! Humans must be very intelligent, if they also find junior jumble difficult!"

"Yep, guess you're right," Sans responded plainly.

Papyrus glanced down at him, "Oh! But that's not to say that you are not very intelligent, too! There are different kinds of intelligence, of course! Isn't that what you said before?"

"Eh, sounds like something I'd say."

"Well I think it's true! Genius must run in our family!"

Sans chuckled once, kicking up snow, "Looks like it."

"Let's go set up the other puzzles!" Papyrus suggested, "And don't get lost, this time!"

"Alright, I'm right behind you," he reported, this time making an effort to keep up the pace, "So wait, if genius runs in our family… could you say that being a genius is a _gene-of-us?"_

"Wow, Sans. That was just sad. You can do so much better!"

"Yeah… I couldn't _stomach_ that one either. I was gonna try for something _gutsier—"_

"Just because you _can_ do better doesn't mean you _should_ keep making the puns!"

"Man, that was _cold_ —"

" _SANS!"_

* * *

"Arf!"

Day paused, "Hello?"

"Arf arf!"

 _More dogs? Out in this cold?_

"Here puppy!" she called out, following up with a whistle, "Where are you?"

There came a sound of heavy panting and the patter of footfalls—then the thunder of footfalls. Over the snow bounded a large white dog, decked out in a suit of heavy armor. He showed no signs of slowing as he barreled towards her, and Day realized she might have a problem.

"Alright!" she cautioned, "Okay, slow down puppy—"

Still in motion, he dug his front paws into the ground, skidding past her in a flurry of snow. Once he'd stopped in full, the dog plopped into a sitting position, tongue dangling from the side of his mouth.

Day smiled, "Aw… you're so cute!" She hurried over and held out a hand, allowing him to sniff out her trustworthiness first. When the invitation was accepted, Day launched right into a passionate petting.

"You're so adorable," she cooed, "Yes you are! Yes you are you fuzzy little…"

The dog seemed to be looking down at her now, no less excited than before. Day attributed the change to her own imagination and continued the petting, adding in a tender scratching every so often.

Her affection was met with an excess of barking, tail wagging, and the flecking of blissful slobber.

Day tired out after a few minutes, and the petting ceased momentarily, "Wow, you really like the attention, don't you?" She glanced up, "You—"

The dog kept barking, his head now several feet away. His neck had somehow grown into a long shaft which swayed from side to side, threatening to topple over at any moment.

She couldn't help but feel that she had somehow caused this spectacle.

 _… Well, it's not something a little more petting can't fix!_

Just then, a series of barking erupted elsewhere, echoing through the forest. The dog's ears perked up, listening intently to the call.

The sound came again, much closer than before, accompanied by words:

"I smell it, too! It's this way!"

"It's a funny smell…"

"Yes, very funny! But not! Funny as in weird…"

"Funny as in dangerous…"

"Funny was in…"

They growled in unison, "A human!"

Day frowned; that didn't sound friendly. As the two came closer, she searched around for a place to hide.

The dog made an attempt to help her—with a large paw, he shoved her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her chest. Keeping it there, he lowered himself so that she was completely engulfed in his furry neck.

"Hey—" she protested, earning a mouthful of fluff, "Bad—dog—"

He refused to move.

Day tried to free herself again, but heard the crunch of snow beside her head, and stopped moving completely.

"Hello fellow dog!"

The ground reverberated as the long-necked dog barked in greeting.

"Have you seen any humans in the forest?"

Her dog friend barked what she hoped was a "no."

"Really? We were sure we smelled one!"

"Maybe it was just a weird-smelling puppy…"

"It could've been that, too!"

"Yeah—why would a human be in the underground? It's practically impossible!"

"Indeed—and besides, Doggo would have caught the human already, since humans tend to move around a lot!"

"Why yes! I think you're right, dear!"

The dog on top of her barked.

Both laughed at whatever he'd disclosed—it seemed to be quite hilarious.

"You can say that again!"

"Perhaps we should return to our posts? In case a human _does_ happen to come by!"

"That's a good idea, dearest!"

There was a brief exchange of barks in farewell, and soon, the crunching footsteps retreated. The dog on top of her sprang up without warning, following the two speakers eagerly.

Day sat up, able to breathe once again. The smell of dog lingered in the air, most likely from the clumps of white fur that clung to her sweater.

"Ew…" She swept it off, finding even more covering her pants, shoes, and even the stick.

 _Well, at least if they come back, I really will smell like a weird puppy,_ she told herself, trying to remain optimistic. The back of her sweater had been flattened into the snow, and was now soaking wet— a gust of icy wind promptly demonstrated this.

 _Just a little bit further…_

* * *

A wooden table sat in the middle of the path. In the middle of a forest.

As Day approached, she saw two objects placed on top: a piece of paper and a plate overflowing with spaghetti. Thinking it would provide an explanation, Day grabbed the paper and tried to decipher the large font, written hurriedly and in all capital letters:

"HUMAN! PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI! LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, THIS SPAGHETTI IS ACTUALLY A TRAP DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU! YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING! THOROUGHLY JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEHEHEHEH! SINCERELY, PAPYRUS."

Upon closer examination, Day realized that the spaghetti was frozen solid, in some places displaying small icicles and a thin layer of frost.

Looks like she wouldn't be trying to eat that.

By now, the cold was constantly on her mind; she succumbed to a sudden shiver every few minutes, and her back had begun to sting a bit.

"It can't be that much longer," she reasoned, rubbing her stiff hands together, "Eventually there's gotta be a town… or something." It didn't sound very convincing, but she was sure of one fact: if there was anything out there, she wouldn't find it by staying in one place.

"Okay," she breathed, "You can do this. It's not that much further. Just keep walking."

The longer she traveled, the less certain she became.

* * *

 ** _I didn't realize until now that Sans and Papyrus throw a lot of puzzles your way- and there's still more to come!_**

 ** _Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed! I will add to my normal conclusion (ugh, this feels like advertising) that if you enjoyed (or not) and want to take the time to write a review, I'd really appreciate it. I'd like to know what's working and what's not, so that I can fix whatever's not at the quality it should be and make it a more enjoyable read._**

 ** _But yeah, thanks again for reading!_**


	8. Well Color Me Puzzled!

**_Merry late Christmas, everyone! I hope you had happy holidays with friends and family (or alone on the internet- anything is good, so long as you had fun with it)! It's snowing pretty hard where I am, so maybe Day getting excessively colder is just projection from my end. Eh, oh well. I hope you enjoy! (Also, I guess that wave of puns hasn't quite died down yet, because there's plenty more- I apologize ;).  
_**

* * *

Once again, Day was greeted warmly by a wall of spikes.

Papyrus was waiting patiently on the other side, but the moment he saw her approach, he leapt up over the spikes in a single bound.

"Human!" he exclaimed, "How did you avoid my unavoidable trap?!"

Day held up her hands, shrugging cluelessly.

"But more importantly… is there any left for me?!"

Her confusion was apparent, so he clarified, "The spaghetti!"

Oh, that. She nodded.

Papyrus gasped, "Really?! You mean it?!"

Day nodded again.

"Wowie! That means you resisted the magnificent flavor of my home-cooked pasta… just so you could share it with me!"

There was no way she could correct him, not with that much enthusiasm. Day added a slight smile to her nod.

Papyrus beamed, "Why human, that is so kind of you! Fret not—I, Master Chef Papyrus, will make you all the pasta you could ever desire, after I capture you!"

Her smile was strained now, but Day was determined not to let it fade.

"Okay…" she replied quietly.

"Well, let's not waste another minute, human!" Papyrus instructed, stepping over the tall spikes without care, "We must continue on! There are more puzzles up ahead to stump you!"

Day shivered violently; _more puzzles?_ She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up…

She made an attempt to follow Papyrus, but was stopped short by the spikes; the gaps were too narrow to squeeze through, despite her best efforts.

"Um…"

Papyrus was already several feet away, and wasn't able to hear her.

"W-wait, please!" she called out, trying to raise her voice.

Papyrus spun around, "… Oh! You can't get over, can you?"

"No. Sorry."

"That's alright!" He backtracked to rejoin her, "They were put there to stop humans, so I'm not surprised they were able to stop you, being a human and all!" Papyrus knelt down attentively, "Would you like me to help you?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay then!" He held out his arms, "I will lift you over the spikes!"

Day hesitated, eyeing the spikes warily; she wasn't so sure she wanted to be suspended in midair above them.

Papyrus' smile faltered, "I… won't drop you, you know! You can trust me!"

Her eyes still lingered on the obstacle, but returned to him uncertainly.

"… Okay."

"Great!" Papyrus reached out without further warning, slipping his mittens beneath her arms and lifting her into the air.

Day latched onto his arm fearfully, _Don't think about the spikes, don't think about the spikes…_

He'd set her down gently only a moment later, "There! Now we can keep going!"

She nodded quickly, doing the best she could to regain her nerve. Papyrus had begun bound away, and Day did her best to match his pace; now she knew how Sans felt.

"So human—" He was confused when he peered down and didn't see her. Day rushed to catch up, and he seemed to understand the conundrum, because his strides were much shorter from there on.

"So human," he started again, "How have you enjoyed the puzzles thus far?"

"They're… fun."

"That is good to hear! Have they thoroughly tested and stretched your mental capacities to their limits?"

In reality, the thing they tested best was Sans' ability to discreetly help her solve them, but she had a feeling that wasn't the correct answer.

"Yes?"

Papyrus was enthralled, "Nyeheheh! Excellent! That's what they were designed for! My brother and I spent many long weeks plotting and constructing them—well, maybe Sans didn't!" He frowned, sounding exasperated now, "His puzzle wasn't quite as advanced and complex as he made it out to be!"

Day smiled patiently, "Maybe not…"

"Ugh, my brother is so lazy—you know, almost every time I pass by his sentry station while he's supposed to be working, he's sleeping instead! Can you believe that?"

She shook her head, doing her best to look surprised.

"Why, it's a good thing I found you first—he probably would've made a weird first impression and scared you off!" Papyrus halted to add emphasis to his claim, "Why, just recently, he started a sock collection— _socks!_ " He shook his head in disapproval, "How saddening. Sometimes I wonder what he would do without such a cool guy taking care of him?"

Day giggled, "I don't know..."

"But of course, Sans has several positive qualities!" Papyrus assured, paying more attention to his words than her, "Just give me a moment to… think of some…"

"He's funny," she offered.

"Nyeh!" Papyrus was skeptical, "He certainly thinks so! I, however, would beg to differ—and what's worse, his awful puns are contagious! I can't tell you how many times I've been hanging out with Undyne and she'd say something about—"

Day's attention wavered for a moment, her ears stinging from a cold wind. She ran her hands over them repeatedly, trying to quell the painful sensation. Eyes diverted, she caught a glimpse of something near the edge of the forest, ducking behind a mass of trees. It was too brief to identify clearly, so she stopped, watching to see if it would appear again.

"—spear went right through the window!" Papyrus waited expectantly for a reaction, but getting none, returned his immediate attention to her, "Human? Are you listening?"

"Hm?" Day realized she'd zoned out, "Oh, sorry! I just—I thought I saw something moving."

"Something moving? Hm… well that could be a lot of things, actually! Like a snowdrake, an ice cap, maybe Gyftrot, a dog—I bet it was a dog! They're all over the forest, since they're on patrol as royal guard members!" He sighed, "So many royal guard members… even Doggo, and he can only see moving things! Why, _I_ can see moving things, _and_ not moving things! So why can't I be a royal guard, too? Ugh… it's all just a _pupularity_ contest, if you ask me! Why I bet—"

He halted in the sudden realization of what he'd just uttered. His sockets were wide in an expression of true terror, and slowly, his gaze shifted to Day.

"… You did not hear that!" he stressed, "I did not make an awful pun! I don't know what you think you may have heard, but it was not a pun! DO NOT TELL SANS! He will never ever let me live it down!"

Day was too busy giggling to give him a definitive answer. Papyrus frowned and kept walking, so Day followed in hot pursuit.

Eventually they came across what she assumed was the next puzzle: it was an odd compilation of boulders, blue markings between them, and another welcoming wall of spikes on the outside.

"Ah, admiring my work, are you?" Papyrus inquired, "As you can see, I've arranged this puzzle to look more like my face!"

Day tilted her head, then again to the other side; she didn't see the resemblance.

"Unfortunately, the snow froze to the ground, so now the solution is different!" He cleared his throat somewhat oddly, "I suppose what I'm trying to say is… well, worry not, human! It is not a challenge that I, the Great Papyrus, cannot surmount! In the meantime, however, why don't you try to solve the puzzle on your own?"

She nodded, "Okay." Day took one look at the puzzle… and was immediately stumped. "Um… how do I…?"

"Oh, I didn't explain!" Papyrus realized, "You see, the blue marks on the ground change colors when you step on them—they turn into little red o's! So your goal is to turn all the x's into o's! But there's a catch—you can only step on them one time each, or the puzzle won't work, and you'll have to start all over! Get it?"

"Yes, I think so."

Day stood at the entrance to the puzzle, studying a possible route to success. She took her first step, and the x morphed into an o with a dull click. There was a string of x's in front of her, so Day walked across them all before studying the rest of the puzzle.

It was then she realized there was a problem.

Without thinking, she had blocked herself off at an intersection: to get back to the entrance, she would need to pass through it… but it was already an o.

"Um…" She glimpsed back at Papyrus, "Can I start over?"

"Of course! Just hit this switch on the ground!"

Day left the puzzle, stepped on the switch, and the markings reverted to normal. This time, she tried a different route—but within seconds, she'd run into the same problem. She'd fenced herself in.

With a breath of frustration, she returned to the switch, stepped on it, and attempted the puzzle a third time.

This went on for five minutes; no matter how many different routes she tried, they always seemed to lead her into the same corner, blocked at the same crossroads. By the time she returned to the switch for a sixth time, her face was red with embarrassment.

"Don't worry!" Papyrus assured, "You'll surely get it this time!"

Day offered a nod, tried the puzzle again. On the bright side, she wasn't stumped at the crossroads this time—she trapped herself in an entirely new corner.

She stared at her shoes as she returned to the entrance, not daring to look up at Papyrus.

"… I'm sorry I'm taking so long," she mumbled apologetically.

"Oh, that's okay!" Papyrus assured her, "It means I made a good puzzle, if it's so difficult!" He pondered something, "However… maybe I could give you a _tiny_ hint to help you, if you'd like!"

Day nodded.

"Okay then, here's the hint: close your eyes!"

"Why?"

"It's a very unique kind of hint—a surprise hint! But you have to close your eyes for it to work!"

Day did as he asked.

"No peeking!"

She placed both hands over her eyes, to prove she wouldn't try anything funny. She heard receding footsteps, followed shortly after by a metallic click, and the footsteps returned.

"Okay! Now look!"

Day uncovered her eyes to observe the puzzle—and found it solved. The spikes at the opposite end had retracted into the ground entirely, leaving their path cleared.

"Wow, you solved it!" Papyrus exclaimed, "And you did it without my help! I guess I just give really helpful hints!"

She didn't feel the praise was deserved, but accepted it wordlessly, the heat beginning to die from her cheeks (she half hoped it would stay—it gave way to cold, again).

"You must really care about puzzles, to show such dedication to their solving! Maybe almost as much as me!" He traversed the puzzle, stepping easily over the boulder boundaries, "Well, I'm sure you'll love the next puzzle then—it might even be too easy for you!"

If this challenge was any indication, she doubted it.

With a quick "Nyeheh!" he was gone, rushing to set up the next obstacle.

Day passed through the completed puzzle, still wondering what real solution was.

"Hey, nice job on solving it—or should I say, _ice_ job," Sans congratulated.

She sprung back with a cry—he was suddenly right in front of her.

"Wh-when did you get here?" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I've been here for a little while, now. Just watching to make sure everything went off without a hitch… and no one made any costly mistakes…"

There was something strange about his tone, and Day gave him a look to say so.

"What do you mean?"

He blinked, and his expression shifted, "Oh yeah, course you wouldn't know—duh, wasn't thinking about that." He gestured with a pocketed arm, "I'll tell you while we walk. C'mon."

This time Day was able to keep up, grateful his pace was much more relaxed than Papyrus'.

"Every so often, some teens will come out into the forest and cause mischief. They've messed with the puzzles a few times, the monsters that live out here… personally, Pap and I don't have too much trouble with 'em." He chuckled to himself, "I'd like to think the warning I gave 'em about it was well received."

Well that didn't sound sinister in the least. Day wasn't quite sure if she understood correctly, though; Sans had frightened her early on, but that was to be expected for a human. Could he really scare off other monsters? Truth be told, he was only a head taller than her, and the pink slippers didn't do him any favors—somehow, she doubted he could be quite as intimidating as he let on.

"And I mean, they're not too bad… just a bunch of kids who want to go out and have fun, so you can't fault 'em too much. They've been dancing on the line recently, though… thought it would be a good idea to go and mess with Gyftrot." He remembered an explanation was required, "She's a monster out here. Doesn't like company all that much. They went out and… well, "decorated" her hoof to horn. She wasn't in such a good mood by the time we finally got all that junk off of her."

Day nodded along to show she was paying attention—she was well aware of the capabilities of teenagers. She and many others were put in charge of cleaning up after a prank gone wrong, on several occasions. Not exactly a set of positive memories.

Soon enough, they found themselves at Papyrus' next puzzle.

"Hey! It's the human— _and Sans_." He threw his arms into the air, "Sans! What are you doing over there?!"

"Oh you know me, just being diligent… working hard…"

Papyrus was unamused, "Oh yes. Of course. I am not surprised at all. If you cannot tell by the way I am speaking, that was sarcasm!"

"Really?" Sans joked in a deadpan manner, "I couldn't tell."

"Well it should have been very easy for you to!" Papyrus sighed, "I suppose you'll just have to hope the human solves this puzzle, if you want to get across, too!"

Sans grinned, "Seems fair."

"Now then, I shall explain the puzzle to you, human! It was made by the great Dr. Alphys herself, so you can already tell it is going to be a real brainteaser! You see those tiles in front of you? Once I throw this switch—" He moved over to an enormous metal box, decked out with many dials and knobs, "They will begin to change colors—and what's more, each color has a different function! For example: red tiles are impassible, meaning you can't walk on them! Yellow tiles are electric; they will electrocute you! Green tiles are alarm tiles; if you step on one, you will have to fight a terrifying monster! Now, orange tiles are where it gets tricky—"

Beside her, Sans had begun to imitate snoring sounds, making her giggle.

"Sans! Are you distracting the human?!"

"Course not, bro."

"Don't be a bad influence on her, Sans! Now, where was I?"

"Orange tiles," Day reminded him.

"Ah yes! Orange tiles are orange scented—they'll make you smell delicious! Blue tiles are water tiles, and you can swim through them, but there's a catch! If you smell like oranges, the piranhas in the water will bite you!"

"Piranhas?" Her face paled.

"We were originally thinking about using alligators," Sans commented, "But decided piranhas were cooler."

She didn't respond.

"Blue tiles are also tricky around yellow tiles—it makes the water electric, so it would be a bad idea to try to swim through it! And then there are purple tiles—"

"Hey." Sans nudged her, "What do you call a cold skeleton?"

"I don't know," she said, keeping her voice low, "What?"

He grinned widely, "A numbskull."

Day laughed, then stifled the sound with a sleeve.

"—pink tiles, though!" Papyrus ended, "Well? Did you get all that?"

She realized there was a large chunk of information she'd just missed, "Uh—"

"Yep, she's got it," Sans answered for her, "Fire away, Pap."

"Wait," she cut in, "I didn't hear—"

"Great!" Papyrus cheered, taking hold of the large lever on the side of the metal box, "Oh, and one more thing… this puzzle is entirely random! When I pull this switch, it will construct a puzzle that has never been seen before! Why, not even _I_ will know the solution!"

And with that, he activated the switch, and the gray tiles sprang to life with vibrant colors.

"Good luck!" Papyrus shouted, and "nyeheh"ed away as the puzzle began to take shape.

It flashed and beeped, each tile cycling through a barrage of colors, seeming to speed up by the second. This already looked more challenging than the last puzzle she'd failed…

"Looks tough, huh?" Sans asked.

"… A little."

"Don't worry, I'm stuck over here too, so I'll give you a "hint"." He made quotations with his hands at the word, then proceeded to snap nonchalantly.

The box unleashed a flurry of sparks, sputtered, and the tiles stopped flashing. They formed a simple pink pathway that led directly to the other end.

"Pretty good hint, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, get going then—you're burning daylight. Even if we can't see it from underground."

She crossed the tile puzzle, and this time, it was Sans who followed. He stopped briefly at the metal box, which emitted another bout of sparks.

"Is it broken?" she asked, almost feeling sorry for the malfunctioning machine.

"This hunk of junk? Nah, it's fine," he assured, banging the side of his fist against it to prove a point, "I just tinkered with it a little. I'm sure it won't hold a grudge."

He rejoined her and they continued forward. The snow was now up to her ankles and frequently spilled over into her shoes so that in no time, her socks were completely soaked. Day's fingertips were numb and painful to move: she'd begun to sniffle every so often, and shiver even more.

"Still in one piece, kid?"

She nodded, covertly wiping her nose with the inside of her collar, "Uh-huh."

"Good, it'll be a lot easier to move around that way, with everything intact. By the way, you saw that plate of spaghetti from earlier, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It's one of my brother's latest masterpieces—but joking aside, it actually wasn't too bad, for him. Since he's started taking cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot. And if he keeps it up, who knows? Maybe by next year, he'll even make something edible."

 _Ouch, that was cold._

He laughed, "I know… that was pretty _cold,_ right?"

 _Hey, that's not fair! I thought of it first!_

The next area contained another sentry station, but that was not what caught her attention.

All across the snow were enormous, towering structures; dog heads sprung up, some so tall that they'd broken off halfway, the heads lying forlorn on the ground.

"… Whoa."

"Heh, you've got that right. Looks like lesser dog is at it again," Sans commented, "Gotta say, these are some of his best yet."

"Uh-huh." She rubbed her arms vigorously, but the tingling wouldn't leave.

"You sure you're good? Not too cold or anything?"

"N-no."

"If you say so." He paused, "Hey, maybe you should be careful about moving forward, there."

"What do you—"

She gasped as her legs seem to give out from beneath her and she plummeted backwards, straight into a mound of snow.

Sans smiled down at her, "Don't look now, but I think you're _falling_ for me, kid."

She groaned.

"Well I warned ya. This ice will make you _slip up._ "

Day sat up slowly; indeed, there was a giant sheet of ice laid out before them, several feet long on all sides.

"Another puzzle?"

"You betcha." He smirked, "Not getting tired of them already, are ya?"

Day wasn't sure how to answer, so she didn't.

Sans shrugged and stepped out onto the ice, gliding across it with ease, "Well, maybe it's best this one is as late as it is: it'd have been poor _icebreaker_ anyway."

Day rose to her feet, brushing the clumps of snow off her shirt. Sans was already safely on the other side, waiting.

"You coming, kid? Don't give me a _cold_ shoulder, over here."

"Yes, hold on, please." She took a cautionary step out onto the ice, but the moment her foot began to slide, she hurried back onto the snowbank.

Sans was cackling, "It's not that hard. Look at me: I've got no _guts_ at all, and I still made it."

She wasn't paying much attention to his puns, still trying to get a steady footing on the ice. It proved useless, and within seconds, she was flat on her back.

He continued to snicker, "Aw, now I really shouldn't laugh… I'll probably end up with a taste of my own med- _ice -_ ine." Instead of going back to help her, Sans started to leave, "Well, I'll be seeing you, kid."

"Wait!" she called after him, "I need your help—"

"No you don't," he assured, "You've made it this far—I mean, just carrying you across wouldn't be doing you just _ice._ "

"Sans!"

"Have an _ice_ time!"

" _Sans!_ "

He was gone.

She made an attempt to follow after him, but this time, landed on her face.

Day scrambled back to the snow, then whipped her hands away, unable to bear the sting for much longer. She sat at the edge, yanking her arms inside the body of the sweater, along with her legs in for good measure. Then, she pulled in her head—from the outside, she appeared to be no more than a misshapen ball of pink and purple stripes.

The tips of her fingers were bright red, so she rubbed them together swiftly, trying to ignore the sting it caused. Her nose was dripping, and she sniffled in disgust, not wanting to touch it again. This was miserable. And now her pants were soaked from sitting on the snow! She made a quick cry of frustration, trying to vent the feeling before it could bubble up into something worse.

"Arf!"

It appeared she wasn't as alone as she'd thought. Day poked her head out from the sweater and saw a small dog head, peeping from within a large snowdrift. He wriggled furiously, but remained lodged inside the snow.

"Oh, are you stuck?" Day asked, "Here, I'll help you."

She left the stick at the edge of the ice, then with her bare hands, started to dig out the poor pooch.

He writhed the best he could, trying to aid her, and soon she could swear she saw the flash of a paw.

"Hang on, I've got you," she comforted, "Don't worry, you'll be out of there in no time—"

The dog found an opening, and with a sudden burst of energy, sprung out from the snowdrift.

But this was not the small helpless dog she had envisioned—looming several feet above her was the little white, yapping head of the dog atop a bulky, glistening suit of armor.

He panted happily, "Arf! Yip yip!"

Day was frozen in place, but offered a timid smile anyway. "S-sure. No problem."

The dog glanced at the ice, then her, then the ice, then back to her. He lifted an armored hand and pointed to it.

"Yeah, I need to get across there," she confirmed.

He yipped again, sinking down onto all fours and watching her with great interest.

Day tried to understand, "What are you…?"

"Arf! Arf arf!"

"You want me to… get on your back?"

His tail wagged in confirmation.

"Okay," she agreed, "Hold on a second."

Day took up the stick, tucking it beneath an arm, and attempted to scale the dog's slick suit of armor. There was little to latch onto, and with a combination of the bandages and the lack of feeling in her hands, she wasn't very successful.

The dog noticed this problem and offered an alternative—he picked her up in a pair of strong jaws, doing so by the back of her sweater. Day didn't struggle, more concerned about herself should she fall beneath the dog's massive paws.

With a muffled bark, the dog charged for the ice, and with graceful ease, slid directly to the other side, coming to a gradual halt at the opposite snowbank.

He deposited her without so much as a bark of warning, and after doing so, promptly turned and glided to the other side, bounding off happily.

Day collected herself, and remembered to call after him, "Thank you!"

He returned it with a good-natured yip.

She set off again, in much higher spirits than before, but no less cold. Every so often she would stumble over her own feet, but she just shook her head, trying to regain her senses. _This shouldn't be so hard! It's just a little snow—I can get past snow!_

Her breath still made foggy shapes in the air, but she hardly noticed it, anymore. Everything around her had begun to mute, slightly—and yet still, it didn't come to her attention. She walked forward in a haze; even her thoughts becoming sluggish.

 _Just a little further… just a little further…_

* * *

 ** _I'm sorry it ended sorta the same way as the last chapter did- this was the best stopping point I had, because the next chapter is going to be less puzzles and more actual story being developed.  
_**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! If you want to take the time, I really appreciate comments so that I can figure out what you guys want to see more of and what can be improved on. Thank you for reading, and have a good rest of the holidays!_**


	9. Showdown in Snowdin

_**Holy frick-frack snick-snack paddy-whack cracker-jack, this turned out to be LONG! And it's packed with heartbreak, don't you worry! Get comfortable, because we're about to partake in a jam-packed chapter of 7000+ words of adventure! Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Yet another wooden bridge made up her path, but Day was in no condition to be overly cautious. Keeping a hand on the railing, she watched her feet, tucking her chin into the sweater's collar. The bridge seemed to keep going… and going…

"Human! You made it!"

Papyrus and Sans stood at the opposite end of the cliff that was joined by the narrow bridge, and she stopped as soon as she spotted them, several feet away. The wind was now howling, so she clutched the railing for dear life; to its credit, the bridge seemed much more stable than she had expected. It didn't even give beneath her feet, nor the railing under her grip.

"Now human," Papyrus began, "This is your final and most dangerous challenge! Behold: the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!"

He hit a button mounted on a post near the end of the bridge—and with a series of creaking gears and metallic shrieks, the trap sprung to life. A pillar of fire shot up from the abyss below, missing the bridge by a matter of inches. Two massive crossbows rose, arrows aimed directly at her; a cannon popped up, the barrel thunking into place. Above her head, a swinging metal ball on a chain whisked by, decked out with several deadly-looking spikes.

Day was flattened against the railing, staring at the weapons in terror—this was _nothing_ like the other puzzles!

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" Papyrus stated proudly, "When I give the word, it will fully activate! Cannons will fire! Spikes will swing! Blades will slice! That little white dog on a rope—" It yapped upon being addressed, "Will continue to dangle ominously! Each part will swing violently up and down, leaving only the tiniest chance of victory!"

 _This is bad. This is going to end very badly._ She turned to Sans for help, hoping he had another hint to offer. He only shrugged.

"I hope you're ready, human!" Papyrus announced, "Because! I! Am! About! To do it!"

Her eyes flew to him in a panic, silently pleading for mercy.

His hand wavered just inches from the button, and he watched her attentively, the triumphant smile missing.

For a moment, no one moved. The weapons sat idle, poised for attack.

Sans glanced at them both, then settled his attention on Papyrus.

"… Well? What's the hold up?"

Papyrus jolted out of the frozen state, "What?! What hold up?! There's—there's no hold up! I'm—I'm about to activate it now!" He shook the hand positioned above the button, "See? I'm about to do it!"

Despite his confident claim, Papyrus turned to her again, indecisive.

Day trembled from fear and cold, locking eyes with him.

 _Please don't hurt me,_ she silently prayed, _Please…_

Papyrus kept staring, internally mulling over his options. His hand would gravitate towards the button… only to draw back a moment later, hesitant.

Sans glanced up at his brother, "… Pap? That, uh… doesn't look very activated."

"Well!" Papyrus blurted suddenly, "This puzzle! It seems… maybe… a bit too easy to defeat the human with, I think." He whipped his hand away from the button, "Yeah, that's it! We can't use this one!"

Day let out a breath of relief, nearly collapsing from the instant release of tension.

Papyrus too seemed less on-edge, and continued to spout excuses, "After all, I am a skeleton with standards! My puzzles are very fair, and my traps expertly cooked! But this method is too direct—no class at all! Away with it!"

"If you say so," Sans relied, activating a separate button, which caused the intimidating weapons to sink back below the bridge. Papyrus gave no further commands, so Sans cleared his throat, "Well? Now what?"

Papyrus nearly jumped, "What?" He was reminded of Day, "Oh right." With a mitten, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Hm… Perhaps we could… No, not that… But maybe… Hm…"

"You want to know what I think we should do?"

"I suppose so—what is your idea, Sans?"

"Well, the human's right there, and she can't exactly get anywhere with us blocking the way."

Papyrus blinked, "So… she's trapped?"

"Looks like it."

"But what good does that do? All we could do is—" He halted, "… Oh! We could… we could finally capture her!"

Sans nodded, "That's the idea."

He broke into a grin, "At last! Sans!" Papyrus grabbed his brother by the shoulders and hoisted him into the air, "Sans, I can finally capture the human! I finally did it!"

"Yep," he replied simply.

Despite his unbridled joy, Papyrus set his brother down with deliberate gentleness, and rushed over to Day, who held herself up near the center of the bridge.

"Human! The time has come for I, the Great Papyrus, to capture you!" he announced boldly, then paused, and continued in a much quieter manner, "So… if you wouldn't mind… letting me capture you, please?"

She nodded.

"Nyeheheh! Excellent! In that case, I now dub you my prisoner! Prisoner, follow me!" Papyrus strode off, head held high.

Sans waited for her to clear the bridge before joining them, trailing behind a ways (she expected he was cutting off her most optimal route of escape).

Soon, they arrived at a long-awaited sight: civilization. The area was alight with a warm orange glow, cast from lanterns that hung at the front of houses. The structures themselves were made of a dark wood, most rather modest in size, but gave off a cozy vibe.

 _Though not nearly as inviting as Toriel's…_

A few monsters conversed with each other outside, and upon seeing the skeletons' approach, drew closer to the path in curiosity—several gasped upon catching sight of Day.

The majority looked to be the same type of monster as Kevin: long eared, furry, and rabbit-like, but there was much diversity among the crowd. A small, large-eared monster hopped up and down to get a better view, almost completely hidden by a thick woolen scarf. A slender, horned monster watched silently, cloaked in a bright orange garb, revealing nothing but a pair of dark hooves beneath. There was an unsettling smile stitched into the hood, pulled down over its face.

She found herself gravitating away from the onlookers and closer to Sans.

"Don't mind these guys," Sans told her, "They're nothing to be afraid of—most of 'em have never seen something as weird as a human."

The monsters continued to mutter in hushed tones around her, making Day a bit self-conscious; she held the stick close at her side, head down, trying to keep her shivering at a minimum.

A curious monster, a yellow lizard-like creature, ventured forth from the crowd to get a closer look.

"Yo!" it exclaimed, coming within inches of Day's face, "What's up?"

It was only as tall as her, but it frightened Day nonetheless; she yelped, ducking behind Sans for protection.

He stared at her oddly for a moment, not sure what to make of this child clutching his jacket for dear life. Eventually, he shifted his attention to the small, confused monster.

"Might wanna keep your distance from this one, Stripes," he warned with a teasing smirk, "She bites."

The monster grinned, "Yo, awesome!"

Once it had run off, Sans glanced down at Day, saying nothing. She took the hint and released his jacket with a meek apology, but kept him between her and the other monsters.

"… Alright, alright," he finally said, "Just a little further, kid. You can sign autographs for your fans, later."

Day followed, taking extreme measures to ensure she didn't make the mistake of touching him, again.

They passed by a large, two-floored house, the roof decked with colorful lights and white under layers of snow. Two mailboxes stood beside it, one plain, the other overflowing with letters (judging by the bright colors and obnoxious fonts, she assumed it was just junk mail).

"Here it is!" Papyrus presented, "It is known by many names: The Doghouse of Danger! The Capture Zone of Catastrophe! And finally… The Shed!"

It was a light-wooded shack, no windows, and only a single sturdy door.

"Nyeheh! I can see you shaking in your boots already, from the sheer terror it inflicts!" Papyrus observed, "Well, there's no time to wait!" He opened the door, then with a sweeping gesture, made way for her to enter.

Day ventured inside slowly, trying to make out what lied within.

"Oh! Here you go—" He pulled the cord to a hanging light bulb, dimly illuminating the room; she was… underwhelmed.

"It's equipped with everything a human needs!" He pointed to the corresponding item as he listed them off, "A bed for sleeping!" It was a dog bed. "Proper sustenance!" It was a dog bowl filled with kibble. "And even a toy to pass the time with!" It was a squeaky toy… meant for a dog.

Day wasn't one to make rash assumptions, but it seemed as though he'd been a bit misinformed on the needs of humans.

"Now, as a prisoner, you are to wait here until I return with Undyne, and we will both take you to the king's castle! Understood?"

For now, she was out of the cold, even if only slightly—she could wait.

"Yes."

"Excellent!" he said, "Very well then, human! Stay here, please!" Papyrus had almost shut the door when suddenly, he flung it open again.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He joined her inside to show her a latch on the door, "The door locks from this side—that way, if there's an emergency and you need help, you can come find me and I'll help you! Okay?"

Day knew this design was highly impractical for him as a captor, but she still found it sweet; she nodded.

"Good! Now… stay! Here! I will return shortly with Undyne!"

The door was shut loudly, and Day wasted no time: she put her ear against the wood, listening closely.

"—immediately!"

"You sure you wanna go out now? It sorta looks like the wind's picking up… maybe you should wait until tomorrow, at least. I mean, the kid's not going anywhere, right?"

"… Well, I suppose… just a little while wouldn't—no! I must alert Undyne as soon as possible! She's counting on me to deliver the human, and I won't disappoint her! Besides, I've visited her in Waterfall lots of times; there's no way I could get lost!"

There was a pause.

"… Alright. You know what's best."

"Don't worry, Sans! I will return shortly with Undyne! Until then, could you please make sure the human doesn't escape?"

"What, out of this impenetrable place?" The door rattled briefly, "You got it."

"You're not going to fall asleep on the job, are you?"

"What? Pft, of course not… I'd never do that. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her."

"If you say so—so long, brother!"

"Be careful out there."

"Nyeh! No one would dare confront the Great Papyrus! You have no need to fear for my safety!"

There was another much longer pause.

"… Yeah, well it won't stop me from it." It was low, and Day almost missed the statement entirely. A moment later, she heard a nearby door shut.

Day left the door, glancing back at the dark shed. Now that the blistering cold had begun to die away, she realized how exhausted she was. Her eyes passed the shabby dog bed, and for a moment, she was almost tempted.

 _Absolutely not,_ she scolded herself. Instead of giving in, Day sat where she was, crossing her legs beneath her.

 _Well, now what?_

She had a few options, some more plausible than the others. The first and most appealing was simple: wait there. It was out of the wind, there were no monsters lurking around (at least, none that she could see), and… well, the squeaky toy was a plus. The issue with that plan was the prospect of what was to come: what had Papyrus said about her being taken to the capital? And who was Undyne?

Those questions aside, she did have another option: she could make a run for it. Yes, it was out in the cold, and even if she made it back to the doorway to the ruins, there was no guarantee it would open. And she had a feeling that if either of the brothers caught her, they wouldn't be very happy—and who knows what that would result in?

So far, the first plan seemed the safest and most comfortable. The shed wasn't that bad, really; it sure beat freezing out in the snow.

Day shifted to sit more comfortably, and the contents of her pockets spilled out onto the floor. She collected them hastily, almost concerned they'd be lost the moment they left her sight.

A few pieces of candy remained, and there was a single golden coin from Sans' previous trick.

 _I should probably return that to him,_ she thought offhandedly.

She returned the encouraging nice cream wrapper to her pocket, the phone (she'd completely forgotten about that- and she was so excited about receiving it, too!) but held onto the note a second longer; she unfolded it and read again, "For my sweetie pie!"

… _I miss Toriel._

Day felt her stomach knot up uncomfortably, so she brought her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. Maybe she should've just stayed in the ruins—it was a lot different out here, and like Toriel had warned, there were a lot more monsters. Of course, Sans and Papyrus were nice enough, but… well, she _was_ their prisoner, after all. Toriel had treated her like her own child, and right about now, a warm slice of pie would've hit the spot nicely. Why had she left Toriel at all?!

 _Because you want to go home._

She hesitated… but the thought rang true.

Home. She had to get back _home._ The surface. That's where she belonged. Chances are, if she was locked away in a capital somewhere, it would be a lot harder to find a way to do so.

Day took a breath; if she was going to make an escape, she had to do it before Papyrus came back.

Standing with renewed determination, she reached for the latch that he'd pointed out, only able to lift it free by standing on the tips of her toes.

"I can't wait until I get taller," she breathed shortly.

As soon as she pushed the door open, the wind hit her square in the face—the sting in her limbs that had just begun to defrost reared up once again, and she cringed.

Going back was definitely still and option.

She ignored the urge to back up, and instead shut the door behind her, a hand over the gap to muffle the sound.

Day cautiously glanced at the area around her; there was no sign of Sans anywhere. Guess he'd wandered off—she didn't blame him.

Day realized that, once again, she was on her own. Her grip tightened around the stick, remembering all the monsters that had surrounded her earlier. First it was a flower, and now an enormous bunny that haunted her thoughts. And yet somehow, she'd befriended two skeletons and a ghost—when she got back to the surface, her stories were going to be a lot more interesting.

If she got back.

 _No,_ she assured herself, _when! I'll get back eventually… somehow… probably._

Her optimism was beginning to waver, so she figured the best time to set out was now. With her back to the town, Day set off down a narrow path, leading towards a set of tall, rocky structures in the distance.

* * *

A river rushed by noisily next to the path, and she could spot the dark rapids through the thinning tree line, a large hunk of ice floating by every so often.

The snow on the path had begun to flatten, but she wasn't about to get off so easily: no longer under the coverage of trees, the wind picked up, blowing fresh flakes into her face. A heavy fog accompanied it, thick and cold, and with elements raging, Day could hardly make out the path in front of her. She held up an arm, hoping to block the snow being flung into her eyes.

All she could distinguish was the silhouette of the jagged shapes in the distance, and hardly heard the nearby river over the raging winds (the last thing she wanted to do was take a dive into that).

"Come on," Day tried to encourage herself, "It's not that cold out…" Sure, if she ignored the prickling sting of her fingers, ears, and the majority of her face, it wasn't bad at all.

The wind was strong enough to present a fair deal of resistance, forcing Day to dig her heels deep into the snow just to avoid being blown backwards. She even resorted to using the stick as an anchor of sorts, plunging it into the ground to pull herself ahead, a few feet.

Day sunk into her sweater, taking only momentary glances at the area at a time. Her cheeks were chapped, her eyes itchy, the gross dripping had started from her nose again—

Something large blocked her path, and she sprung back to identify it.

Papyrus was sitting alone in the snow, chin in his hands; back turned, he didn't see her.

Day stood a ways off, but when her presence wasn't acknowledged, she inched closer.

"… Papyrus?"

Her voice was lost in the wind, so she walked within an arm's reach.

"Papyrus, are you okay?"

The skeleton sprung to life, nearly jumping _out of his skin_.

"WHA _—"_ He had landed several feet away, but upon recognizing her, relaxed greatly.

"Oh! It's you, human! Boy, am I happy to see you—" He halted in realization, "WAIT! You escaped my escape-proof Capture Zone! I am NOT happy to see you!"

Day frowned, and the expression became contagious.

"Oh, that sounded mean—I didn't mean it the way it sounded! I am very happy to see you safe and not dead! But... well…" Papyrus wrung his mittens together thoughtfully, and turned to avoid her gaze, "… Human. Allow me to tell you about some complex feelings."

He drew in a breath, "Feelings like… the joy of finding another pasta lover! The admiration for another's puzzle solving skills! The desire to have a cool, smart person think you are also cool! These feelings…" Papyrus faced her with a smile that seemed stretched, "They must be exactly what you are feeling right now!"

Despite the cold, she managed to match his smile.

"I see you agree! And I cannot blame you: after all, I am… ahem… very great! I cannot imagine what those feelings must feel like… I don't ever have to wonder what having lots of friends feels like, for I, you see, have many friends! I pity you, lonely human… oh, but worry not!" Papyrus approached her warmly, "You shall be lonely no longer! For I, the Great Papyrus, shall be your…"

There was a sudden cease in his movements, and the smile sank on one side.

Day was confused; had she done something wrong?

"Papyrus?"

He retracted his hand, almost hesitantly.

"… No, no! This is all wrong! I-I can't possibly be your friend!"

 _… Oh._

The words possessed a sting even more potent than the cold: her stomach knotted painfully.

Even still, Papyrus couldn't bear her expression, "It is not that you're a bad person! On the contrary, but—you're a human! I must capture you! It is the only way I can fulfill my lifelong dream! Things have to be this way!"

He faced her squarely, as if prepared to battle, "I am sorry, human, but I need to capture you, again! I will be powerful! Popular! Prestigious! That's Papyrus! Soon to be the newest member of the royal guard!"

Something orange flashed deep within his sockets—a moment later, several bones began to swirl above his head. It was an idle motion at first, but gradually the movement became quicker, the bones blending into a white blur.

Day was reminded of the deadly white pellets—she froze in terror.

"Let's see if you can handle my fabled blue attack!" he challenged, and the bones shot forward, emitting a bright blue glow.

 _Blue attacks… blue stop signs!_

She remained rooted to the spot, and the projectiles passed through her harmlessly.

 _Guess the hint was easier to remember than I gave Sans credit._

Papyrus was impressed, "Oho! It looks like you _can_ handle them! But don't think you've won yet!" The orange flash returned, and another batch of bones materialized in the air above him. They lingered, then rocketed towards her, aimed much lower than the others.

Day dodged the first few, hurrying to one side, and was only nicked by the last.

Once the wave had passed, Day dropped her guard—only to meet the next group head-on. The first swept low near her ankles, so she hopped up, tucking in her legs. When she landed, a shock jolted through to her knees, making her stumble. In an off-balanced panic, she swerved from side to side, avoiding the onslaught of attacks, and remembered to freeze only seconds before the blue bones reached her.

"You may have made it this far," Papyrus observed almost jovially, "But don't make me use my _special attack!"_

More bones: Day ducked, dove, and dodged them all, fueled with determination and adrenaline.

Papyrus had begun to attack a bit carelessly, flinging the bones without aiming, "I can almost taste my future popularity! Papyrus: head of the royal guard! Unparalleled spaghettore! Oh, Undyne will be so proud of me!"

Unbeknownst to him, Day's luck was beginning to run dry. She was breathing heavily, and it was becoming much harder to remain upright.

"Pap—" Her plea was cut off as she leapt to avoid a spiraling bone, "Papyrus!"

"Yes, me! Why, I bet the king himself will even trim a hedge in the shape of my smile! Yes! And my brother—hm. Well, I doubt he'll change very much."

The bones had begun to encircle her, a mixture of blue and white, trapping her where she stood.

She felt she could vaguely hear Flowey's mocking laughter—her heart hammered in her chest, ready to burst.

"P-Papyrus!" she begged.

"I'll have lots of admirers! But…"

The spinning bones began to slow.

"… But will anyone like me as sincerely as you?"

They stopped completely, then dissipated into thin air. Papyrus remained where he was, lost in thought.

"I mean, someone like you is really rare… and being friends might be kind of hard, after you're captured and sent away."

Day watched hopefully; this could be it! Maybe now he'd let her go!

But her hopes were dashed the moment he returned his attention to her, frowning grimly.

"Urgh, who cares? Just give up!"

Bones were flung at her faster than she could side-step—Day threw up the stick, able to block a femur or two.

Papyrus made a noise of frustration, "Come on, please give up! Or I'll have to use my special attack! Yes, that's it! Very soon, and I'll use that special attack! It isn't too long, now!"

Day was starting to feel dizzy; she shook her head to be rid of the sensation, and briefly, she succeeded.

A bone swept her legs from beneath her, and Day tumbled forward. She threw out her hands to soften the impact, and winced as the jagged ice clumps dug into her reddened skin. The attacks hadn't let up yet: there was a shrill whistling as they whizzed by only inches from her head. Day flattened against the snow, waiting for the wave to die down.

She glanced up—Papyrus' jaw was locked, fists held devoutly at his sides.

"I didn't want to have to do this, human…" He told her sternly, "But you leave me no choice!" The orange glow arose in both sockets, and he plunged a hand into the air, "This battle will end _now!_ Behold, my special attack!"

The two stared at each other in uneventful silence.

Papyrus waggled his fingers impatiently, waiting for the summoned attack. Day took the opportunity to slowly climb to her feet, keeping her eyes glued to Papyrus' empty mitten.

"What the heck?" He wondered aloud, "Where's my special attack? That usually works!" Papyrus searched the area around him, "Did it get lost? This has never happened before—"

"Yip yip!"

A small white dog wagged its tail with delight, a massive bone held proudly in its jaws.

"Hey!" Papyrus snapped, "That's my special attack!" He went to approach the dog, and it trotted backwards, just evading his grasp.

"Hey! Stupid dog! Do you hear me?" He called after it angrily, "Stop munching on that bone! It does not belong to you!"

In reply, the dog gnawed furiously, claiming his prize.

"I said stop it!" Papyrus cried, making another grab for it, "Give me that—"

The dog bounded away, yipping in a manner almost taunting.

"GET BACK HERE!" Papyrus sprinted after him, paying no heed to Day, "Hey! Get back here, you fluffy white menace! Those bones are not yours to steal!"

He disappeared into the fog, leaving Day alone on the path. She saw the chance and took it; she made a mad dash for the rocks.

"DON'T THINK YOU'VE EVADED THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DOGGY—"

There was a loud splash, followed by a scream.

Day skidded to a halt, the sound sending a shockwave of fear through her.

"Papyrus?"

No one answered.

She spun on her heels and ran right back to the area she'd just fled, "Papyrus! Are you okay?!"

The fog gave way to reveal the white dog, bone still displayed with pride. He was lounging next to the river bank, but there was no sign of Papyrus anywhere.

Day searched the ground for a clue to his whereabouts. The snow revealed a hasty set of footprints leading towards the river, and upon following them closely—

"Human!" He sprung up from the stream with a spray of icy water, gasping for air.

She yelped, caught off guard.

"Fear not, human!" Papyrus assured her, arm wrapped around a grounded rock in the riverbed, "For I will—" His grip began to slacken, "I will—" With a crack, the rock shifted under the strain, and Papyrus lost his hold, "The Great Papyrus cannot swim well!" In seconds, the current had swept him under, only to throw him sloshing back to the surface. "Please, save me human! Save me so that I may capture you!"

Day watched helplessly as he was pulled further down the stream, tossed about like a doll.

"Oh my—oh no!" she panicked, "No! Papyrus!" Day spun around in circles, searching for anyone within earshot, "Someone help! Please! Someone help us—"

The dog cocked its head, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, and the long bone stuck out comically to one side.

She stared at it, an idea emerging.

"Here puppy," she coaxed, trying to pass off her fear as friendliness, "Let me see that—"

It growled at her approach, and she jerked her hand back.

"HELP ME!" Papyrus screeched, dangerously distant.

Day was becoming desperate, "Please, puppy, please! I need it! I just—" She stopped, then waved her stick, "You want this instead?"

The dog's eyes lit with temptation, and his tail rose high, signaling his interest.

"You have to go get it, though!" She reared back, flinging it into the fog, "Go on! Go get it!"

It didn't need to be told twice; bone discarded, the dog ran off in a storm of yipping.

Day grabbed hold of the bone, and tucking it beneath an arm, rushed down the riverbank in search of Papyrus.

" _Papyrus!"_ she cried, unable to find him amongst the dark and violent waves, " _Papyrus! Say something! Where are you?!"_

Over the roar of the water, she caught a voice—Papyrus battled the current, a few feet upriver from where she stood.

"Papyrus!" She held the bone out over the water, "Grab onto this, okay?"

He was swept beneath her only seconds later—a red mitten shot out of the water, latching onto the bone. Day was jerked forward, almost plunged into the river along with him. She struggled to root herself into the earth, bringing them both to a painful and stunted stop.

Her grip on the bone was beginning to fail—Day gritted her teeth, determined to hang on just a minute longer. It was slipping! _No no no! Come on, you can't! Just hold on! Don't—DON'T—_

Papyrus anchored a hand into the riverbank, then the other, and fought to pull himself ashore. Day dropped the bone and took hold of his arm, doing her best to aid him.

"Are you okay?!" she asked.

He coughed up a colorful fish, "Why of course! It will take—much more than that to defeat the Great Papyrus!"

She let out a breath, falling to her knees in relief and exertion.

Papyrus stood erect, trying to shake off the freezing water, "My, that was very—that was refreshing! And also, completely according to plan!" He wrung the water from his scarf, and it hung limply to the side, "Nyeheh! Of course! I fear the trick is on you, human! For I, the Great Papy—"

He suddenly sneezed, a hand flying to his face to shield it.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." He sniffled, "Now, as I was saying—" It was interrupted by another sneeze, one more violent than the first, "As I was _saying,_ I, the Great—ACHOO! The Gre—ACHOO! The—ACHOO!"

Unable to get so much as a word out, Papyrus sighed sadly, "Oh… who am I kidding?! I wasn't able to stop you, no matter how hard I tried! I'm a failure!"

Day frowned, "No... no you're not…"

"Yes I am! I couldn't even catch a small dog! That's how much of a failure I am!" He sniffled again, reduced to shivering, "Un-Undyne's gonna be disap-pointed in me! I'll n-never join the royal guard! And—and…" Papyrus rubbed his sockets with a wet mitten, "M-my friend quantity will remain st-stagnant!"

He plopped on the ground, hiding his face pitifully, "Who w-would want to be friends with a l-loser like me?!"

Day could only watch, unable to speak. What could she say? Nothing was coming to mind—other people were so good at this, how did they do it?!

His quiet sniffling was jostled by intense shivering, and water still dripped from every bone—some had even begun to visibly frost over. He was freezing, even worse than her.

In sympathy, Day removed her arms from the sweater, pulling it up over her head. There was only a thin t-shirt beneath, and it would do a horrible job of retaining heat, but Day ignored these facts. Sweater in hand, she crept up to Papyrus, putting a hand on his arm.

His head flew up quickly, and he hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks, as if he had any chance of hiding them.

"Y-yes?" he asked, sounding choked, "What is it, human?"

She held out the sweater, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Here."

"… What is this?"

She unfolded it to reveal the sweater in full

Papyrus was confused, "What? Are you… are you giving this to me?"

Day nodded.

"Why?"

"Because you're cold."

"But… but I tried to capture you!"

"I know."

"So why would you help me?"

"Because… you're my friend."

Papyrus gasped, taken aback, "I am?!"

"If you want to be."

His face lit up suddenly, "Really?!"

Day smiled, "Yes."

"Wowie! And you're even giving me a gift, too!" He took the sweater gratefully, "Hm… it might be a bit small, but…"

Papyrus wriggled his way into the sweater, one arm through a sleeve while the other searched blindly for its partner, head halfway through the collar.

Day giggled at the spectacle, but began to feel the pangs of cold at her exposed arms. She rubbed them to dispel the feeling, but it had no effect. The tingling spread from her fingers up her arms, already past the elbows, and still growing.

"There!"

She returned her attention to Papyrus and withheld a laugh—the sweater was obviously too small, stretched comically to fit his oversized form.

"How do I look?" he inquired, "Do I look like a fierce warrior?"

She nodded.

"Nyeheheh! Of course I do!" He flexed, which might have been more impressive if he had muscles to flex, "Why human, I appreciate your thoughtful and flattering gift! I will be sure to remember this act when I become head of the royal guard! When I capture you, I will ensure that you receive the most comfortable cell to spend the rest of your days in!"

 _Hey, wait a minute! That wasn't part of the deal!_

Day opened her mouth to argue, but even her voice felt frozen in her chest—she shut it aimlessly, beginning to succumb to the cold.

"And every so often, I will take the time from my busy royal guard duties to visit you, surely lifting your broken spirits with my presence!" Papyrus continued, "And, on special occasions, I may even bless upon you the culmination of my talents as master chef—my very own elaborate and flavorful recipe for spaghetti—"

She sneezed loudly.

Papyrus stopped briefly, "Human, I wish you wouldn't interrupt me while I'm monologuing!"

Day sniffled, "S-sorry."

"Well, it's quite alright. Anyway, as I was saying—"

She sneezed again, nearly losing her balance from the strength of it.

"Human, why do you keep doing that?"

The world was beginning to go fuzzy again, so she shook her head, only intensifying it.

"S-sor—I'm sorry."

Papyrus stared down at her curiously, "Human… are you cold?"

"No, I'm ok-kay."

"But then why do you look cold?" He knelt down to examine her closely, "I think you are cold but may not know it."

She couldn't answer—shivers rocked her small form, impossible to miss.

Papyrus rubbed his chin, "Hm… perhaps it would not be best to bring you to Undyne in this state! First impressions are everything, you know!" He sprung up, "Never fear, human! You have done me a large favor by saving my life, and I, the Great Papyrus, shall do a favor for you in return! Come! I shall guide you back to warmth!"

He set off for the path, and Day struggled to move her legs, knees locking up stubbornly. She was able to power through it, catching up with Papyrus.

"You know, human, you are very lucky to have been found by me!" he told her, walking forward without so much as a glance back, "Why, it would have been very cold and lonely and scary out here all on your own! Who knows what…"

The sound died entirely to Day, giving way to a high-pitched ringing. She didn't have the proper mindset to be concerned—instead, she reached out weakly, catching hold of Papyrus's scarf, dangling low to the ground. He didn't seem to notice in the slightest.

"Do not worry, small and cold human! It is only half a mile to my fabulous home! Well, I suppose technically it is also Sans' home, but it's mostly mine! Yes, only half a mile through ice and snow and biting winds—it is quite fortunate for me that I am tall and have little to worry about, concerning the height of the snow—"

Papyrus felt a steady pull at his scarf, so he turned in surprise. Day's hand was locked around the tip, eyes cast down to the ground; the snow was up to her knees.

"Human?" He noticed that she was shaking, "You do not look like you feel good. Do you not feel good?"

Day's strength finally gave out—she dropped to her knees, then sat limply, slouched over her lap.

"Human! Now is not the time to sit!" he scolded, "You will get sick if you sit in the snow like that! Why did you not dress more appropriately for this weather?!"

She couldn't hear him, and her eyesight was beginning to fade along with it. Everything was cold, everything stung. Day started to drift off…

When she didn't answer, Papyrus became concerned.

"Oh dear…" He thought for a moment, then exclaimed, "I know! Do not worry, human! I shall aid you!"

Papyrus scooped her up easily, able to support her with a single arm. He held her like an infant, shielding the child from the wind.

"There we are!" He smiled down at her, "I must say, human, you are very lucky that I am here to look after you! Don't you agree?"

The question echoed as if it came from a great distance—she had just enough sense left to manage a nod.

"Hm. You are very quiet," Papyrus observed, "But not to worry; I will do the talking for the both of us!" He continued walking, "It just so happens that I, the Great Papyrus, am also very great at having conversations with myself! I have had much practice with! Why, I would even say that I am the greatest at…"

Day lost the last of her energy; her vision went dark, and she slipped into unconsciousness…

* * *

Sans was halfway out the front door when Papyrus emerged from the icy fog, something clutched to his chest.

He let out a breath of relief, and managed to smile again.

"Hey Pap," he called out calmly, "I was just heading out to look for you. Man… you looked chilled _to the bone_ —"

"Sans! This is not the time for your jokes!" Papyrus brushed by him to enter the house, "I have recaptured the human!"

" _Re_ captured?" Sans couldn't say he was too surprised; the door locked from the inside, after all, "Really?"

"Yes! And if you had watched her more carefully, perhaps she wouldn't have slipped out!"

"Hey, all I said was that I would keep an eye on her… that's kinda hard to do without eyes, y'know."

Papyrus scoffed, "Well anyways, I have her right here, and—" He glanced down at the form in his arms, "Human?" With no response, he shook her gently, "Human, why aren't you speaking? Or moving?"

Sans could just make out the kid, eyes closed, an arm dangling limply on one side—the tips of her fingers were blue.

"Uh oh," he muttered.

Papyrus caught the comment, "Uh-oh? What's wrong with her?! Why is she not moving, Sans?! Did I break her?!"

"No, you didn't," he assured. _Yeah, I had a feeling this was gonna happen… kid, why couldn't you just stay in the shed?_ "It's fine, she probably just—"

"No! I have betrayed the trust of my human friend!" Papyrus wailed, hugging her close, "She gave me a gift and I let her perish in the cold! I am a terrible friend!"

"Hey—Pap, it's alright," Sans tried to cut in, "It wasn't your fault—"

"Sans, is she going to be okay?! Is this bad?!"

"Here, lemme see her."

Papyrus passed off the kid, and Sans' legs nearly gave out under her weight; she was considerably heavier than he'd anticipated.

"I do not deserve to be head of the royal guard!" Papyrus went on, "How could I protect all of monster kind if I cannot even protect my human friend?" He shook a fist at the sky, "Curse you, cruel snow!"

 _Don't drop the kid,_ Sans mused, _That's the last thing she needs… alright, now just get her to the couch…_

As Papyrus lamented behind him, Sans managed to lay her out across her back, placing her arms neatly at her sides.

"There we go," he exhaled, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Her chest rose and fell, so at least he knew she was alive for the time. That was a plus. Sans lifted one of her hands; the blue coloring didn't even rise to the first knuckle of her fingers, isolated mainly to the tips.

"Looks like they won't fall off yet, kid," he joked lowly, though he was almost certain she couldn't hear the quip. Strangely enough, something else seemed out of place about her—all the limbs were there, no facial features blown off, so what was it?

He glanced back at Papyrus to question him about it, and was immediately struck by the answer.

"Bro. What are you wearing?"

Papyrus sniffled, clutching the pink and purple sweater, "It was a gift from my dearly departed human friend! I shame it with my betrayal!"

Sans took a long look and couldn't help himself—he snickered.

"SANS! This is no time to laugh!" he blurted, aghast, "What are you thinking?!"

He managed to collect himself, "Hey… you know you can still fix this."

Papyrus' sniffling ceased abruptly, "I can?!"

"Yep," He held out a hand, "Gimme the sweater."

Papyrus instead gave him a strange look, "Why?"

"You'll see."

He didn't seem convinced, but complied anyway, worming his way out of the severely undersized sweater, "Okay, but I'm not sure how this will help!"

"Just trust me," Sans assured, rolling the sweater into a sloppy ball. He absently raised a hand and felt the familiar glow in his left socket; the kid's head levitated slightly, and he was able to slip the makeshift pillow underneath.

"There you go, kid," he muttered, "Better than nothing."

"… Sans!" Papyrus blurted impatiently, "It's not working!"

"That's because I'm not done yet," he reasoned, sliding an arm out of his coat. Sans hated taking off his jacket—the undershirt beneath did a sorry job of keeping in heat and, frankly, he just wasn't one for sharing.

"Now don't you go running off with this," he warned, throwing it over the kid like a blanket. It was able to cover her entirely, even partially masking her face.

 _… Yeesh, this kid is small,_ he realized, _How the hell did one this young get underground? There's no way she couldda made it all the way through the ruins on her own…_

"Now what, Sans?" Papyrus interrupted his train of thought.

"Now, my friend," he informed, "All we gotta do is wait."

"Wait?! For how long?"

"Well, you want her to get better, don't you?"

"Yes! Of course I do!"

"Then—" He went to pocket his hands, but they slid stupidly across the undershirt, "Oh yeah. Then you gotta wait for a while."

"But why?" Papyrus inquired, almost childishly.

"Well…" Sans searched for a simple explanation, "… Okay: so human souls are stronger than monster souls, right?"

"Of course!" Papyrus rolled his eyes, "Everyone knows that, Sans!"

"Well, true as it is, when it comes to the weather, for some reason humans aren't very strong at all—something about their bodies needing to be a certain temperature to work properly. If they get too hot or too cold, they stop working for a little while." He readjusted the jacket, mostly to make a point, "And to fix 'em, you just gotta make sure they're comfortable, wait for 'em to wake back up again, and then they'll be back to normal."

Papyrus stared at him blankly.

"… Humans are very strange."

Sans scoffed, "Yeah, tell me about it."

Well, now that he knew his brother was out of the storm, there was little reason to keep wandering around—Sans headed for the stairs.

"Now don't mess with her while she's sleeping," he advised, "Might be a good idea for you to go to bed, too. Also, maybe tonight you should lock your door, in case—"

"I will watch over her vigilantly until she wakes!" Papyrus declared, "That way, as soon as she does, I can apologize for making her malfunction so!"

Sans paused at the first step, turning back to the living room.

"Uh… it might take a while, Pap," he tried to dissuade, "I don't think you need to—"

"Time is no matter when it comes to the task of restoring friendship!" He sat cross-legged against the arm of the couch, refusing to budge.

Sans crossed his arms in return, "Papyrus. Really, you gotta sleep—"

"The Great Papyrus will succeed in his mission!" he interrupted passionately, "No matter the time it takes!"

This argument was going nowhere—Sans sighed in defeat. _She's gonna be out for a while,_ he reasoned, _probably until tomorrow. And he's gonna fall asleep within the hour._

"… Fine," he gave in tiredly, "Have fun with that."

Sans wordlessly plodded up the staircase, glancing back at the two every few seconds.

 _Look,_ he told himself, _even if the kid does happen to wake up, she's not gonna be in any state to cause trouble. And Pap clearly overpowered her once, so he can do it again, no problem. There's nothing to worry about._

Even still, when he finally reached his bedroom, Sans left the door wide open; he would not miss a peep out of either of them. He couldn't afford to.

* * *

 _ **And we're done with this chapter! Huzzah! Thank you for sticking with it for so long- man, I stayed up really late finishing this. It feels like I just grabbed a chunk of my brain and flung it onto a word document- though to be fair, if I had done that, it probably would've turned out more eloquent and coherent. ;P**_

 _ **But again, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Happy New Year, everyone!**_


	10. Just a Little Friendly Suspicion

_**The last chapter was pretty long, so I tried to keep this one on the shorter side. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Day woke up slowly, and was surprised to find that she wasn't cold in the slightest (it had been something she'd gotten used to, by now). She was, however, incredibly sore.

The room was dark and still, so she squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust.

She was eventually able to make out a television, the doorway to what looked to be a kitchen, and a staircase built against one of the walls; she was in someone's house.

A sudden sound erupted next to her, making her jolt—no longer drowsy, she sat up, searching erratically for the source.

Papyrus was sprawled across the floor, limbs spread out in disarray, jaw slacked wide open. One of his legs twitched every few seconds, hitting the edge of the couch. _H_ _e must be asleep._

There was still a gap in her memory; how had she gotten there? Last she remembered, she was staring down at a mass of snow, and… being carried by someone? Was she making that part up?

Day rubbed her eyes, hoping it would bring some clarity. As soon as she reopened them, she was met with another surprise; it grinned widely at her.

"Hey kid."

This time, she didn't flinch back: only stared. Sans held out something that she couldn't quite put a name to.

"I'll trade you."

Upon closer examination, she realized that he was holding an enormous gray blanket, large enough to have come straight off a bed.

 _Trade me for… what?_

As if cued by her thought, something flopped over her shoulder: a jacket sleeve. She looked over at Sans for confirmation, and sure enough, he wore only a grimy white undershirt (and she promptly forced herself to stop staring at the collection of exposed bones).

Day removed the massive blue jacket and handed it to him.

"Thanks." Sans received it and in turn gave her the blanket, "Here ya go. Oh, and uh, guess I'd better warn you now… it probably doesn't smell any better than the jacket."

Day practically mummified herself with the blanket, leaving little more than her head exposed. As he'd warned, there was a strong odor lingering around it, but it wasn't near as awful as he'd let on—pungent, yes, but she wasn't about to refuse a blanket.

Sans joined her on the couch, leaving a cushion's length between them, but looking much more like himself with the added girth of the puffy blue jacket.

"So," he began, keeping his voice low, "Not still cold, are you?"

Day shook her head.

"None of your fingers fell off?"

She decided to check; the tips were reddened, but all in place, so she nodded again.

"Your tongue didn't freeze off, did it?"

Day smiled a little, "No."

He chuckled, "Well that's a plus."

She continued to smile politely, still glancing around the dark house with an air of trepidation.

Sans caught her expression, "… Oh yeah, guess you dunno where you are, huh?"

"No."

"Eh, makes sense… you were out _cold_ when you got here." He snickered at the joke, "Well, after you decided to go and try to make a run for it, a storm picked up… next thing I know, Pap's carrying you in, and to top it off, he's wearing your sweater. Personally, I don't think the pink exactly complimented him… anyway, you're at his and my house. Figured the shed wouldn't've been the most comfortable, what with how freezing it is…" He folded his arms behind his head comfortably, reclining back into the couch, "You can go ahead and crash here until you're feeling better. If you want to, anyway."

"Thank you."

"Eh, no problem."

Day drew the blanket tighter around herself, "Um… Sa—Mister Sans, I mean?"

He stared at her incredulously.

"What did you say?" Without giving her a chance to answer, he cackled, in a manner almost uncomfortable, "Nah, none of that. Just Sans."

"Sor- I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, kid."

"… Um… it's Day."

"Huh?"

"You asked earlier, and I didn't say it," she said quietly, "My name… it's Day. If… you still wanted to know."

Sans blinked, "Yeah? That so?"

She nodded in confirmation.

"Day," he repeated, his expression changing slowly, "Why'd you have to wait so long to tell me? It's a good name—do you have any idea how many puns I could've made out of it, earlier?"

"Probably a lot," she agreed.

"Yeah, a lot!" he began to list them off on a hand, "You scared the living _day_ lights out of me, have a nice _day—_ or I could've said you'll never see the light of _day_. What else… ah: what do you think this is? A _day_ care? You look a little _day_ zed…"

She was giggling fiercely, "Okay, okay!"

"Don't think you're off the hook yet, kid." He nudged her with an elbow, "I've got plenty more."

On the floor, Papyrus made a sound in his sleep (it was like he could sense the bad puns being told only feet away), drawing their attention.

"Heh…" Sans lowered his tone again, "Guess he did a pretty good job capturing you, right?"

Day wasn't sure how to answer.

"Says he's gonna take you straight to the capital one minute… and then the next, he brings you right back here, calling you his "dear human friend"."

She smiled gratefully, "… He's nice."

"Darn right he is." Sans said it proudly, "Must run in the family."

She let out a small laugh, supposed to be for her ears only.

He caught the sound anyway and sat up, "Oh? Was that skepticism I heard?"

"No," Day hurried to clarify, "I—"

"What, you think I'm mean? Probably scary, too."

"I mean—"

"Oh, I see… you _do_ think so." He shrugged carelessly, reclining again, "That's fine… I see how it is…"

She was pretty sure he was joking with her, but Day still didn't want the misunderstanding to remain.

"No! I didn't mean that! You're not—"

Sans just shook his head with a sigh, going to great lengths to conceal a teasing smirk, "Man, that hurt… for having a name like Day, that wasn't very bright and sunshiny of you… kinda _dark._ "

"Sans!" she stressed loudly, "You're not mean at all! You're—"

Papyrus suddenly awoke, sitting bolt upright.

"Sans?!" he blurted, "Wha—what are you doing up so late?! Is something the matter—" He made direct eye contact with Day, then nearly exploded, "THE HUMAN IS AWAKE!"

Papyrus practically flew through the air, directly hitting the area of couch between Day and Sans.

Sensing the imminent collision, Sans rooted himself to the arm of the couch, but Day was caught off guard—she bounced at least a foot into the air from the force of impact.

Before she could begin her descent, Papyrus snatched her up in a flurry of mittens, suspending her powerlessly in midair. She didn't dare struggle, but soon found there was little reason to.

"Oh my human friend!" he cried, "I am so very sorry that I caused you to malfunction and stop working!"

Beside him, Sans shifted in his spot, finding a comfortable nook between two cushions, and interrupted calmly, "Her name's Day, she said."

Papyrus' grief was momentarily lifted, "Oh, that's a nice name. BUT REALLY! I did not intend to cause you so much damage! Especially after you saved me from that ornery dog and also from drowning in the river!"

Sans' slouch lifted immediately, "Wait what?"

"Oh it's a funny story," Papyrus dismissed, "I'll tell you about it later." His attention was focused squarely on Day for the time, "Please, human Day, please forgive me!"

She nodded, "It's alright."

"Really?! You mean it?! It's really okay?!"

"Mm-hm." She nodded again.

In an instant, she was trapped in a bone-crushing bear-hug, flattened against Papyrus.

"Yippee!" he exclaimed joyously, "The human and I have restored our friendship! Oh, I am so happy!"

"Hey bro," Sans commented flatly, "I think you're about to break her in half."

Even though she could hardly draw in a breath, Day didn't fight to be released.

"I'm—I'm okay—" It was less than convincing, "I'm—good!"

Papyrus saw her discomfort and loosened his death grip, "Sorry! Is that better?"

"Mm-hm."

"Good! Oh human, I am so glad you are alright! You don't need to worry about a thing; Sans and I will take great care of you until you are 100% back to normal! We are both excellent at taking care of people, so you'll be better in no time!"

Day didn't doubt it; she returned the embrace happily.

"Speaking of which—" Papyrus released her without warning, and she plopped onto the couch, "Are you warm enough? Do you need another blanket?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm okay."

"Are you sure? It might get even colder outside… just tell me if you are cold, okay?"

Day nodded.

"Sans, that includes you too!"

"I'm fine," he yawned, "Cold never bothered me too much… the wind _goes right through me._ "

Papyrus groaned, "Sans, it's too late at night for your puns!"

"So does that mean they're allowed during the _day?_ "

"No it does not mean that!"

"I'll save them for _tomarrow_ , then."

"UGH!"

Day was giggling quietly, beginning to feel drowsy, again…

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Sans? You have work to go to, tomar—TOMORROW!"

Sans broke into a grin, "Whoa, were you about to steal my pun?"

"NO! I WOULD NEVER STOOP TO SUCH LEVELS!"

"Heh… what's that supposed to mean?"

"The Great Papyrus does not concern himself with puns—my talent lies in cooking, puzzles, capturing humans, and several other impressive skills! You can have puns and sciencey stuff!"

"Seems a fair deal."

"Well, I suppose you have other cool skills too—like pulling practical jokes! And you're nothing if not devout about sleeping on the job!"

Sans laughed, "Thanks, Pap. Means a lot."

Papyrus also grinned, "Oh, you know I don't mean it, Sans! You have many great qualities—such as being the best brother I've ever had!"

"Well, I mean… I don't have much competition for that title."

"That is no matter! I'm sure even if you did, you would still manage to be the best!"

"Eh, if you think so."

"I _do_ think so!" He wrapped both arms around his brother in a tight embrace, "And you're also very good at using your powers, when you want to! Of course, maybe they could be a little bit stronger if you exercised them more often—they're very impressive already, I mean! But, you know, they could be even _more_ impressive if—"

"Hey Pap."

"Hold on a second, Sans! I'm getting to a point! Now—"

"Pap."

"What is it, Sans?"

"Maybe you oughtta be a little quieter."

"Quieter?" he shouted, "But why?"

"Because the kid's asleep."

Papyrus glanced down in surprise—Day was curled up against the arm of the couch, head in her arms.

"Oh! Well—" He quickly lowered his voice, "Well why didn't you say something earlier?" Seeing that the blanket had slid to one side, Papyrus readjusted it so that it sufficiently covered her. He turned to smile at Sans, "I think she likes us!"

"Yeah…" Sans risked another glance at Day to ensure she was truly asleep, "So… what was it you said about almost drowning?"

"Oh yes!" Papyrus perked up in order to tell the story, "So I was going to Waterfall to tell Undyne about capturing the human, but it was really windy, so I decided to stop for a minute! Walking against the wind takes a lot out of you, you know! Anyway, I had only stopped for a little while when the human showed up! I couldn't let her get away, so naturally I battled her—"

"You battled her?" Suddenly, he had Sans' undivided attention, "Did she fight back? Did she hurt you?"

"No, actually! You know that was something I found interesting, too! I fought very hard, and yet she didn't attack me once; she just ran away from them all!"

"… Huh."

"Anyway, just when I had almost defeated her and was about to use my unstoppable special attack, it didn't work! That stupid white dog had taken it!"

"White dog?"

"Yes! You know, the one you always feed hot dogs to!"

"Oh that one."

"Yes, that one! It took my special attack! I chased after it in order to retrieve it, but that dog was very clever! Somehow, it tricked me into falling into the river! I thought I could swim out on my own, but that current was very strong—"

"You sure you're not hurt?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure! And then—"

"That could make you really sick with how cold it is, Pap. Are you really sure—"

"Sans, just let me tell the story already!" Papyrus cut him off, "Now as I was saying, the human must have been even more clever than that dog and tricked it somehow, because she got a hold of my special attack bone and used it to pull me out of the river! And even more than that, she gave me her sweater to keep me warm and offered to be my friend! Isn't that nice?"

"Hm." Sans was staring at nothing.

Papyrus noticed this, "Sans? Is something wrong?"

"I dunno." He slipped his hands into his pockets, slouching into the couch.

"… Well, it certainly seems like something is," Papyrus observed.

"... Fine. It's the human."

Papyrus blinked, "What about her?"

"… You're sure she didn't fight you?" Sans repeated, "She didn't act aggressive? Anything at all?"

"Nope, nothing at all!" Papyrus assured, "She even got rid of that little stick she was carrying like a weapon, so that must be a good sign!"

Sans didn't reply.

"Sans, are you worried about something? Something involving Day?"

"… Maybe."

"Aw, you don't need to be worried! She doesn't look like she's hurt too much, except for all those band aids on her hands—"

"I'm not worried about _her,_ I'm worried about what she could do to _you."_

Papyrus stared at him, confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

He sighed, "Pap, let's be realistic here; we don't know where this kid came from—"

"Well since she's a human, she had to have come from the surface!"

"She's a kid we don't know, being the point."

"We know her now!"

"Yeah? We learned her name five minutes ago. Other than that, we know nothing else about her—that's not exactly a good thing."

"Why not?"

"It's just not. All we know is that she's a human—" He became even more stern, "Pap, you know what humans are capable of. I know what humans are capable of. Even if it's a small one, they're strong. They can cause a lot of damage."

Papyrus glanced over at Day, still asleep, and seemed less convinced of the fact than Sans.

"But… she wouldn't do anything like that!" Papyrus insisted, "She's nice!"

"And how do we know she wouldn't?"

Papyrus didn't answer immediately. He stared at his hands for a while in silence.

"… Well… I mean… we can't know for certain. You're right about that…" He glanced at Day again, then back to Sans, smiling hopefully. "But we're her friends now, so we should give her the benefit of the doubt! That's what you have to do when you meet someone new!"

Sans locked eyes (er, sockets) with his brother, saying nothing.

Eventually, he sighed, "Just be careful."

"I will!"

"Make sure there's other people around, when you're out—don't let her lead you off somewhere secluded or anything."

Papyrus laughed uneasily, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"And if she starts acting… weird, come find me."

"Weird how? Like how you're being?"

"I'm not being weird," he couldn't help but snap, "I'm being cautious. Maybe it would help if you were, too."

"Well that's no way to gain her trust! We've got to trust her first—"

"Papyrus, listen to me," Sans told him evenly, "You need to be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

"But Sans, she wouldn't—"

"Listen."

Papyrus shrunk back, no longer interrupting.

Sans watched him quietly, but when he finally spoke, his voice was no less direct, "I want you to promise me something. Will you do that?"

He nodded, "Of course I will!"

"Good." Sans looked past him, scrutinizing the sleeping girl, and his expression didn't soften.

"If she starts acting… strange," he began, "A dangerous strange, I don't want you to talk to her. Don't talk, don't try to fight, don't do _anything_ to her. Just get away."

Papyrus seemed conflicted, "But Sans—"

"You get away from her. That's it. Understand?"

He frowned, "… Sans, I wish you'd be a little more trusting of her. She's really not that bad."

"I'll trust her when she gives me a reason to."

"You will?"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"I don't really like making promises, Pap." He paused, "...But yes."

Papyrus meshed his gloves together, "… Okay. Then I promise."

"What do you promise?"

"I promise if she acts dangerous that I'll run away instead of trying to help her," he clarified.

Sans didn't entirely agree with the paraphrase, but it was enough. He nodded.

"Alright."

There was a long silence.

Sans didn't look over at first, feeling the tension, but it was interrupted by a yawn, giving him the excuse he sought.

"You tired?"

"Well I did spend the whole day capturing a human, Sans! Why aren't you tired?"

He scoffed, "Who said I'm not?"

"Then go to bed, if you're tired!"

"You too."

"You first!"

"Nah."

"Come on, Sans! You're being difficult! Go to bed, lazybones!"

He sunk lower into the couch, almost fusing with it by now, "Eh… too far away."

"It's just one staircase, Sans!" Papyrus exclaimed in exasperation.

"Well, then it's a _step_ in the wrong direction…" He grinned in spite of poor attempt.

Papyrus groaned, "That one was terrible. Now get up or I'll carry you there myself!"

"Oh no…" The lament was flat and drawn-out, showing his lack of concern.

"Alright, fine!" Wasting no time, Papyrus hoisted Sans over his shoulder, and with a huff, started up the stairs.

"Don't fall," Sans muttered, more teasing than cautionary.

"Of course. Because I was planning to fall." Papyrus rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Sans, I don't know what you'd do without me to take care of you!"

"Yeah," he replied, absently, "Me neither…"

* * *

 _ **Well that was fun and not at all tension-filled. Thank you for reading! I appreciate comments and critiques, if you'd like to do so!**_


	11. Spineless Romance

_**Well then, this one somehow turned out long. I plan to update on a regular schedule, so... yep. Hope you enjoy!  
**_

* * *

"Day! Day, wake up!"

She groaned sleepily, rolling onto her stomach in an attempt to stifle the sound.

 _Ugh… why is Maggie waking me up so early? She's never awake on time!_

Whoever it was rocked her shoulder gently, "Day!"

"Maggie," she muttered almost incoherently, "Why are you—"

"Human Day! Wake up, sleepy head!"

Wait… that wasn't… but then who…?

Day opened her eyes; Papyrus blinked, upside down from her vantage point.

"Good morning!"

The memories flooded back: underground, evil flowers, skeletons. _Oh yeah._

"Good morning," she muttered, her senses returning.

Papyrus hopped onto the couch beside her, brimming with energy.

"I'm so glad you're finally awake!" he told her, "I've been watching you sleep, and at first I was just going to let you keep sleeping a little while longer—"

 _Watch me sleep?_

"—but anyway, I came up with something fun that we can do today, instead of taking you to the capital as a prisoner!" He glanced over at Day, who was still slumped over into the arm of the couch, "… You're not much of a morning person, are you? That seems a little ironic, given your very morning-related name!"

In reality, she _was_ a morning person, but nearly freezing solid had taken a lot out of her—she was grateful to be waking up at all.

While she tried to look as alert as possible, Papyrus continued, "I would say you're just like Sans, not getting up, but that's only true sometimes—some days, he never gets up at all! And then other times, he's up even before I am… I don't know, but I think on those days, he probably didn't sleep very well. But don't tell him I think that, okay?"

"I won't," she promised, rubbing her eyes.

"Thanks! Now come on! Let's go!" Papyrus sprung to his feet, "You'll probably want to put your sweater back on, since the place we're going requires you to go outside to get there!"

Day nodded in agreement, then slipped her arms into the sleeves. When she'd finally dressed, Papyrus was waiting eagerly at the door.

"Come on!"

Not wanting to keep him waiting, she vacated the couch, hoping that enough movement would help shake off the remaining drowsiness—and found he was already well on his way outside.

Day hurried to catch up, stopping only to shut the front door behind her.

"There you are!" Papyrus wasn't too far ahead, "Now let's go!"

She reached out and caught hold of his dangling scarf, ensuring she kept at his pace. He didn't seem to notice.

There were very few monsters outside this time (there was no way to tell, what with the lack of sky, but Day assumed it was early in the morning). They gave her a sideways glance, but otherwise let her be.

"By the way," Papyrus piped up, "Who's Maggie?"

Day almost tripped. "Excuse me?"

"When you were waking up, you mistook me for someone named Maggie, I think!"

"Oh…" She'd assumed that was a dream of some sort, "She's the girl I share a bed with."

"Like your sister?"

There was a sharp stab in her chest, and the sensation made her sound a bit defensive when she finally replied, "Maggie is _not_ my sister."

"So your friend, then?"

Day hesitated, "… She can be nice sometimes, but… not usually."

Papyrus glanced back at her, confused, "Then why do you share a bed with her?"

"Because all the other beds are full, and no one wants to trade."

"All the other beds?" Papyrus repeated, "You mean you have more than one bed in your room?!"

It sounded impressive when he put it that way.

"Well, it's not just my room," she clarified, "There's Maggie too, and Samantha and Hannah and Chloe… I think there's sixteen of us, in all."

Papyrus looked amazed, "Wow! You must have a really big house!"

Day stared at the ground, heat rising into her cheeks.

"…Sorta."

"And having fifteen other people in a bedroom—it's like a giant sleepover every night! That must be fun!"

"Not really."

He stopped, "No? Why not?"

Day didn't meet his gaze, "Some girls cry in their sleep."

"… Oh."

"And a few stay up late and talk loud, so everyone else can't sleep, either. Sometimes they try to steal our blankets. And hit us with pillows. Or crawl under the beds, then jump out and scare us."

"That doesn't sound like fun at all!" Papyrus observed.

She didn't respond, attentively studying the tracks they made in the snow.

"Well, not to worry! I can assure you that as long as you are at the house of Papyrus, nothing like that will happen!" He beamed at Day, "Neither Sans nor I will ever steal your blankets or try to scare you! We will only do wholesome and enjoyable things, like watch my favorite TV show and cook delicious pasta! It will not be like your unfun home in the slightest!"

Day couldn't help but smile back, "… Thank you."

"Of course!" Papyrus gave her a quick pat on the head, "Now, there's no time to waste! The shop—I MEAN, the secret surprise I have planned is just a little more this way!"

She followed adamantly, with much more of a spring in her step than before.

Eventually, they arrived at a long wooden building that seemed to be split in half, one side labeled "Shop" and the other "Inn."

"It's a shop," Papyrus explained, "Surprise!"

Day nodded in a way that would hopefully make her seem more surprised.

"Well, come on!" Papyrus beckoned for her to follow, and in a flash, flew through the door (Day did her best to follow in suit, and only just avoided being smacked in the face with the swinging door).

"Miss Lavinia! " Papyrus called out once he'd entered, "Are you here?"

"Day or night, hon," a voice spoke. Soon after, a purple rabbit-like woman emerged from behind the shop's counter, smiling warmly.

"Hello there, Papyrus," she greeted, "On time as always, I see."

"Yes indeed!" he confirmed, "The Great Papyrus is nothing if not diligent about arriving according to schedule!"

Lavinia laughed, "Of course. You want your usual?"

"Not exactly, yet! First, look what I found!"

She glanced over the counter to see what he was referring to, "What on earth did you—"

Lavinia saw Day and gasped.

"… Papyrus, hon?" She gave him a wide-eyed look, "Is… is that…?"

"That's right! A real human!" he announced proudly, "Her name is Day and she solved all my puzzles! Then I was going to capture her, but she bested me yet again, and even saved me from the paws of a dastardly white dog! So now she's my friend and is staying with Sans and I!"

Lavinia blinked, slowly absorbing the rush of information, "… Oh. Well, sounds like you had quite the adventure."

"Very true!" Papyrus knelt down to Day's level, "Human Day! I'd like to pick you up for a moment, if you'd allow it!"

Day nodded, holding her arms away from her sides accordingly. Papyrus scooped her up, then gently placed her on the shop's counter, directly in front of Lavinia.

The two stared, studying each other carefully.

Lavinia had light purple fur, stout ears, and a nose that twitched as if she was trying to sniff out trouble. She wore a plain shirt, a small hat, a necklace that was easy to miss—Day assumed she was someone who appreciated the simpler things in life.

"Well now…" Lavinia's focus shifted from Day's disheveled hair to her bandaged hands, "It looks like you've had your fair share of adventure, too. Haven't you, hon?"

She nodded shyly.

Lavinia offered her the same welcoming smile that she'd given Papyrus, "Don't you worry—I got the perfect thing for little adventurers."

The woman disappeared around a corner of the shop and returned with a well-worn silver tray; the air filled with a spicy smell, making Day perk up.

"Here we are." She extended the tray to Day and Papyrus, "My own recipe."

It was lined with small spiral-shaped rolls, sprinkled with cinnamon and oozing glaze—they resembled bunnies.

"Wowie!" Papyrus exclaimed, taking one for himself, "I love it when you make these! They're the best!"

Lavinia's cheeks pinkened at the praise, "Why thank you." She offered the tray to Day, "Go ahead hon, it won't bite you."

Day took one of the smaller bunnies, not wanting to seem greedy.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Anytime." Lavinia set the tray down on the counter, "You know, my boy Kevin was telling me all about how a human came by and bought nice cream from him yesterday. I gotta say, I wasn't so sure he was right about the "human" part." She laughed a little, "Guess you proved me wrong."

"Kevin is your son?"

"That's him," she confirmed, "Taught him everything he knows about running a business. He wants to go out and sell his nice cream all over the underground—and if we ever get to the surface, maybe even all the way up there." Lavinia chuckled, but in a more somber way, "… Here's to hoping."

Day didn't know how to reply, so she tasted the cinnamon bunny—it was gooey and warm, practically melting in her mouth. Not quite on the same unattainable pedestal as Toriel's pie, but a close tier below.

While she was off in her own little world of culinary enjoyment, Papyrus was trying unsuccessfully to snatch a second cinnamon bunny, to the playful reprimandation of Lavinia.

"—you know my rule, Papyrus," she emphasized, a grin sneaking onto her lips, "One per customer."

"Well… maybe I was getting one for Sans!" he suggested.

"Oh, and I suppose it's gonna survive the trip, what with you watching over it?" Lavinia laughed, tossing her head back slightly, "If that lazybones wants one, he can pull himself away from Grillby's grease-trap of a restaurant and come buy one, himself. And you can tell him I said that, too!"

"Nyeh! Good luck with that!" Papyrus told her, "Sans is always there! You know, when I woke up this morning, I was going to ask him to come with us here, and he was already gone! I bet he's at Grillby's—at this time in the morning, Sans? Really?!"

Lavinia shook her head, smiling, "How _do_ you keep up with him, Papyrus?"

"Well let me tell you, it isn't easy!" It was obvious he was joking.

 _I wonder if he knows how much Sans brags about him,_ Day thought to herself, but didn't voice the question.

"I bet not." She returned her attention to Day, "You liking it alright, hon?"

Day nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Good." Lavinia gave her a gentle hair-ruffle, "That oughtta keep you going a little while longer. Specially in this cold, you'd better have something warm inside you if you're gonna have any chance of moving along."

When Day was finished, her fingers were sticky with glaze. She couldn't lick them off, despite the temptation—that would be impolite. With no other options, she subtly wiped them off on her pants, further dirtying the black material. She hoped no one would notice the steady build-up of stains.

"Human Day!" Papyrus addressed her, "If you've finished, perhaps we could leave and go do other fun things! The library had many interesting books—and most are of excellent quality, despite the building's misspelled sign!"

"Misspelled sign?"

"Yes, the sign outside is spelled wrong."

"Oh. I didn't notice that."

"It's very easy to miss! Come on, I'll show you!"

He started to leave, so Day tried to hop off the counter, but was intimidated by its height and shrunk away from the edge.

"You want a hand, hon?" Lavinia offered.

"Yes please."

The woman picked her up, then delicately set her down on the floor.

"Thank you, Miss Lavinia."

"Of course, hon." She ruffled Day's hair again—Day was beginning to thoroughly enjoy the gesture.

Before Papyrus had reached the door, it opened on its own.

The cloaked orange monster from before stood in the doorway, hunched at the shoulders. He seemed to survey the shop—and his attention centered on Day.

Lavinia didn't bat an eye, continuing to smile unwaveringly.

"I had a feeling you'd show up soon," she said.

He remained silent for a minute, staring.

"… Yeah. Couldn't keep me away forever." His voice was low and scratchy, almost crackling at the end of words.

"Well, come on in then," she invited, "Just made a fresh batch."

His hooves clomped on the floor in an uneven, ominous manner.

As he neared the counter, Papyrus joined him and greeted, "Hello Mephistopheles!"

The monster turned towards him slowly, "Hello Papyrus." His gaze shifted down to Day again, "… Hello human."

Day was too afraid to reply, but Papyrus relieved her of the job.

"Her name is Day!" he introduced, "And she's not like other dangerous humans—she's a nice one! Isn't that cool?"

Mephistopheles bent down to get a closer look—he was only a few inches away when Day finally lost her nerve. She dashed behind Papyrus, and in fear, reached up to grab ahold of his hand, clutching it for protection.

The monster retreated, making a deep, echoing sound; he was chuckling.

"The mask is a tad off-putting, isn't it?" he commented, "But it's nowhere near as terrible as what's underneath."

She drew even closer to Papyrus.

"Oh come off it, Mephi!" Lavinia scolded, setting the baking tray closer to him, "You're scaring the poor kid!"

He chuckled again, "I know."

"You keep that up and maybe I'll have to start making you _pay_ for these," she taunted.

"Well then, I guess I'd better behave." A dark, clawed hand emerged from a slit in the cloak, took a cinnamon bunny, and disappeared inside once again.

"You stay out of trouble, now," Lavinia advised.

Mephistopheles scoffed, "Whatever do you mean? I am nothing if not law-abiding and compliant…"

She crossed her arms. "Uh-huh."

After another chuckle, he nodded politely, "Have a pleasant day, Lavinia. Papyrus." He nodded again, "Day."

She hesitated, but somehow managed to reciprocate the nod.

Mephistopheles left the shop just as slowly until finally, the clomp of his hooves was cut off by a thud of the shutting door.

Lavinia shook her head, "I swear, that boy's gonna get himself into real trouble one of these days."

Day continued to watch the door adamantly, worried Mephistopheles might return.

"Um... human Day?"

Papyrus was staring at her, looking utterly perplexed, "Why are you holding my hand? And standing very close to me?"

When he pointed this out, Day blushed, "Um—"

"And now you're blushing!" he observed, "Interesting…"

"Hey, maybe she likes you," Lavinia suggested, giving Day a flirty wink.

 _Lavinia. NO._

Papyrus gasped, "What?! Really?!"

Lavinia shrugged, "I mean, I don't know for sure… I'm not the one you should be asking…" She nodded discreetly towards Day.

"… OH! Of course!" Papyrus understood the hint. Again, he knelt down to be on the same level as Day, "Human Day! I have a very important question for you to answer! And it's this: do you like me?"

 _Oh boy._

Her face burned furiously; she'd only grabbed onto him because—because of the monster! It wasn't—not because of something like _that!_ But she couldn't just tell him no… she didn't want to make him upset. So what was she supposed to say?!

"Uh—" Her tongue felt heavy, jumbling her words, "W-well… I mean… I mean, I d-do _like_ you—"

"WOWIE!" He leapt up in joy, "Did you hear that, Miss Lavinia?! She said she likes me!"

 _I wasn't finished yet!_ Day silently panicked.

"Looks like she does, alright," Lavinia agreed with an almost mischievous grin, "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Why of course I know that means! The Great Papyrus is not unfamiliar with this situation!" There was a pause, "… But just so I know that we're both thinking of the same thing, you can say your idea first!"

"It means you should take her on a date."

"Nyeheh! Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking!" Papyrus was once again wound up like a spring, and he hurried to the door, "Come, human Day! I have the perfect, special place for a date!"

"Papyrus, w-wait—"

And he was gone.

What had she gotten herself into, now? She ran after him.

"Have a good time, hon," Lavinia called out, barely containing her laughter. _This should be fun._

* * *

"Here we are!" Papyrus announced with a theatrical wave, "Welcome again to scenic "My House"!"

Day was breathing hard, having only recently caught up with him.

Papyrus didn't seem tired in the least; he dashed inside, and Day followed.

He stopped in the middle of the living room, pondering something.

"Hm…" He stroked his chin, "What would be the most special place here for a date?"

It seemed every time he used the word "date," her cheeks got another degree hotter. What was she supposed to do on a date? And besides, wasn't Papyrus a lot older than her? (She was judging age based solely on height, so maybe that wasn't the most accurate).

"I know!" Papyrus suddenly exclaimed, bringing her out of her thoughts, "It's so obvious! My room is clearly the best place for a date!" He began to run up the stairs, "It's this way!"

Day climbed the stairs after him. The first door was decorated with many "keep out" and "no entry beyond this point" signs.

Papyrus had gone ahead to the furthest door, knocking briefly.

"Sans? Are you back yet?"

There was no answer.

"… I guess not."

He returned to Day, "Well, I guess we can go in and… do whatever it is you do on a date…"

"O-okay."

Papyrus opened the door, then stepped back to allow her to enter first. Day went inside, and stopped after only a few steps.

"… Wow."

"Admiring my awesome room, are you?" Papyrus followed her, "It is quite great—much like me!"

She surveyed the room in amazement: there was a cardboard box full of bones against the wall, and in the corner, a desk and computer.

"Ah yes!" Papyrus said when he saw what she was looking at, "My computer! I'm quite popular on the internet! In fact, I'm only a dozen away from a double-digit follower count!"

While Day attempted to contemplate the math of that, Papyrus moved over to a table against the opposite wall.

"And this is my action figure collection!" He held up one as reference, "I'm sure you're wondering how I have so many! Well, I got them all from a very special person!" Papyrus lowered his voice, as if telling an intimate secret, "He is a chubby, smiling person who likes to surprise people… know who it is?"

She took a guess, "San—"

"That's right!" he confirmed, "Santa!"

Day bit her tongue; that wasn't what she'd planned to say. And she didn't speak it aloud, but a thought lingered in her mind: _doesn't he know that Santa isn't real?_

"And over here—" He pointed to a black pirate flag hanging next to a filled bookshelf, "Neato, huh? Undyne found it at the bay—she thinks it's from the human world! Now, I know exactly what you're thinking: why would a flag from the _human_ world have a skeleton on it? Well, I have a theory… and that theory is that perhaps humans… descended from skeletons!"

 _Well. He's sort of close._

She turned to face the back of the room, and spotted what was possibly her favorite item: a bright red, racecar shaped bed.

"That's cool," she commented.

Papyrus smiled, "It is, isn't it? It might sound a little silly, but when we get to the surface, I want to ride down the highway in a car just like that! Sun on my skin, wind in my hair…" He chuckled, "Well. It's just a dream, anyway—so instead, I cruise while I snooze!"

He stood awkwardly, "So... if you've seen everything, would you like to… start the date?"

"… Okay."

"Okay!" Papyrus fiddled with his hands, "I guess you can just… sit there, if you want!"

Day obeyed, perching at the foot of his racecar bed.

He seemed just as on edge as she was, "Well… here we are… on a date!" Papyrus laughed nervously, "I've actually never done this before."

"Me neither," Day admitted, a bit relieved.

"Oh really? Wow, that's surprising!"

Day went beet red, unsure how to respond to the indirect compliment.

"Never fear! You can't spell "prepared" without several letters from my name!" he assured, "And I have just the thing we need!" In a blur, he shuffled through the contents of his bookshelf, discarding books carelessly behind him.

"I know it's here!" he told himself, "Where in the world could it—oh here it is!" Papyrus withdrew a small pink book and flashed the cover at Day, "It's an official dating rulebook! This way, we're certain to have a successful date!"

She nodded, not nearly as enthusiastic as she'd hoped to be.

"Now let's see…" He flipped through the pages rapidly, "… Ah! Step one: ask them on a date! Well, we sort of already did that… I think we can skip this one. Don't you?"

Day just nodded along, a bit uncomfortable with the situation. For now, she wouldn't speak up—Papyrus was having fun, so she could play along. He'd done her several favors, anyway; it was the least she could do. So Day smiled, a bit strained.

"Well then, on to the next step!" He moved down the page, "Step two: put on nice clothing to show that you care!"

Papyrus froze, and his gaze shifted up from the book to her.

"… Wait a second."

Day held her breath— _what did I do wrong? Did I make a mistake?!_

"Wear nice clothing…" He repeated, "That sweater… you're wearing clothing already! And not only that, but when we first met, you were wearing clothing then, too!"

"… Yes?"

"No!" he blurted, "Could it be… you've wanted to date me from the very beginning?!"

 _Oh dear…_

"Um…" Day wrung her hands together, "I…"

It was either lie or hurt his feelings. But if she lied and he found out, it would hurt his feelings even more. She couldn't—he was too nice, she couldn't do that to him! But she didn't… not like that, she didn't…

 _After all he's done for you, you're just going to be rude and say "no?"_ a voice in the back of her head snapped, _That's awful! Just say yes and make him happy! What's so bad about that? Come on, it's not even that hard; just say "yes!"_

Day caved in under the pressure and quietly stammered, "Y-yes?"

Papyrus gasped, "NO! You planned out the whole thing before me! You're—you're so much better at dating than I am!" He looked defeated, but slowly, his frown rose into a challenging smile.

"… Nyeh! Heheheh! A good effort, but do not think you've bested me yet!" He gained a victorious stance, "For I, the Great Papyrus, have never been beaten at dating! And I never will! I can easily keep up with you!"

Papyrus paced the floor for a moment, thinking while he walked.

"Hm… yes… yes, that will work nicely!" He faced her head-on, "I have thought up my next move! For I too, you see, can wear clothing! In fact, I have a set of special clothing instead of my regular clothes, just in case someone happens to ask me on a date!" Turning on his heels, he dashed to the closet, "I keep them in here! Just give me a second!"

He disappeared inside, so Day waited patiently on the bed. Her cheeks were burning feverishly, so she put the back of her hands against them, trying to absorb some of the heat.

 _Come on,_ she encouraged herself, _It's not that bad… don't be so nervous and scared, for once. Try to have fun!_

There were a few bumps from the closet, then came Papyrus' muffled voice, "Alright… prepare yourself! BEHOLD!"

Papyrus burst forth in his new attire—and Day broke into the biggest grin her face would allow.

His t-shirt read "Cool Dude," and it was equipped with shoulder pads that resembled basketballs. He'd kept the red gloves, but replaced the boots with red sneakers (the laces were left untied, but tying shoes with mittens seemed an impossible task). And to top it off, he wore a bright blue cap, turned backwards for maximum coolness.

"Well?" he inquired, "What do you think of my secret style?"

Day told the full truth: "I love it."

He gasped again, "N-no! A genuine compliment! You still manage to stay one step ahead of me!"

She shrugged modestly.

Papyrus watched her, the competitive flash returning to his sockets, "However… as nice as it was… you don't truly understand the hidden power of this outfit! Therefore, what you just said is invalid!" He crossed his arms stubbornly, "I'm afraid this date won't escalate any further!"

Well at least she wouldn't be the one to have to say—

"Unless!"

 _… Unless?_

"Unless you find my secret: the secret to my secret style! Nyeh!" He laughed heartily, "But that won't happen! Go ahead! Guess all you'd like!"

"… Okay." Day studied every article of clothing for some sort of clue, "Um… is it your… shirt?"

"Nope!" he denied proudly, "But fun fact: this shirt didn't originally say "Cool Dude" on it. I altered it! All articles of clothing can be improved this way!"

She nodded, then took another guess, "Is it your… hat?"

"My hat." Papyrus blinked, "My hat? Ah! My hat! Yes, it is! You found my secret! Well, then I suppose I have no choice…" With a sweeping bow, he removed the hat to reveal—a small white box underneath, wrapped in a red bow.

Somehow, she wasn't incredibly surprised by its sudden appearance.

Papyrus took the box off his head and held it close, "It's a present! A present… j-just for you!" He held it out stiffly, "Here!"

She received it with a smile, "Th-thank you."

"Well, open it!"

Day untied the ribbon around it (she was amazed he'd managed to do such a neat job in the darkness of the closet) and gently removed the lid. This time, she really was surprised by what she saw.

Inside was a plate of spaghetti. The noodles stuck out sloppily over the edges, and the sauce appeared a bit chunky in places. There was also a fork hidden in one of the edges of the box.

"Do you know what that is?" Papyrus questioned.

"Yes…?"

"You're thinking "spaghetti," right?"

"Yes."

"Well you're right!" he congratulated, "But OH! Also so wrong!"

Day was confused, "I am?"

"Yes indeed! This isn't just any plain ol' pasta! This is an artisan's work! Silken spaghetti, finely aged in an oaken cask... then cooked by me, master chef Papyrus!"

His grand description didn't quite seem to match what sat in her lap, but she didn't dare correct him.

"Human!" Papyrus announced, "It is time… time to end this! We will finally see who is better at dating!"

There was a period of silence. She blinked, waiting for him to elaborate.

But soon, she was able to deduce his unspoken instructions: he wanted her to try the spaghetti.

… Hadn't Sans mentioned something about Papyrus' cooking being inedible? That wasn't a good sign, if it was true.

 _He was probably just joking,_ she reasoned. Day reached in and picked up the fork, then twirled a bit onto it. It all stuck together, and she wound up with a glob of wild noodles and dripping sauce.

 _… See? It doesn't look that bad._

Day took a cautionary sniff—no red flags, there.

 _Just don't think about how it's been sitting in a box. In a hat. In the closet._

No turning back now. Day raised the fork to her mouth, and with a single gesture, ate the forkful of spaghetti.

…

Sans was not joking.

There were no words to accurately portray the full experience that was its taste—anything would only turn out to be a _gross_ understatement. Even an attempt was _revolting_ to consider. Just plain _distasteful._ Purely _sickening._ So she didn't try to find the words. Instead, Day focused on a much more vital task— _swallowing._

Her gag reflex longed to kick in and relieve her of the task, but Day repressed it. Just one swallow. A quick gulp and it would be over. Through grim determination, Day managed, then exhaled sharply.

Papyrus was watching her observantly, "My, what a passionate expression you have! You must really love my cooking!"

 _DON'T START TELLING THE TRUTH, NOW._

She could only nod.

"And if you love my cooking… then by extension… you must really love me!" He concluded, "Maybe even more than I do!"

How could she debate that reasoning? Day nodded again.

Papyrus seemed to be experiencing some sort of stunning revelation, and he stared at her, star struck.

"… Human Day." He walked closer, standing directly in front of her, "It's all very clear now. You're madly in love with me. Everything you do. Everything you say. It's all been for my sake!" Papyrus knelt down before her, and Day stared back, feeling guilty.

"Human Day, I want you to be happy, too! As happy as you've made me!"

 _I am an awful person,_ she scolded herself, the back of her neck prickling; soon the tears would follow. _I'm so mean… I should've just told the truth…_

"So, it's time for me to express my feelings! Here goes!" Papyrus took in a deep breath, "It's time that I told you that I, Papyrus..."

Day braced herself.

There was a pause.

"… I…" It sounded like he'd forgotten what he'd planned to say, "Uh…" He chuckled uncomfortably, "B-boy, is it hot in here? Or is it just me?"

She noticed that there was a faint glow around his cheekbones—he was blushing, too.

When he didn't continue, Day gave him a look, confused.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, of course!" He assured, "Now as I was saying, I…"

The silence lasted even longer than before.

Papyrus stared to the side, then at the ground. Finally, he sighed.

"Oh… shoot."

With a breath, he sat on the floor, looking defeated.

"Human Day, I... I'm sorry. But I'm afraid…" He wouldn't look up at her, "I don't like you the way you like me."

The tension instantly lifted—Day shot up in both shock and relief.

"You don't?!"

"I MEAN, I tried very hard to!" he shouted quickly, thinking he'd offended her, "I did, truly! I thought because you flirted with me, that I was supposed to go on a date with you! And Lavinia even said so, so I assumed that was how this worked. Then, on the date, feelings would blossom forth, and I would be able to match your passion for me! But alas… I, the Great Papyrus..." He hung his head shamefully, "…have failed."

Day set the box of spaghetti on the bed, slid off, and stood before him.

"No you didn't," she told him kindly, "It's okay…"

"No it isn't!" he argued, "I feel just the same as before! And instead, by dating you, I have only drawn you deeper into your intense love for me!" He sighed heavily, "A dark prison of passion, with no escape… How could I have done this to my dear friend?"

Papyrus still wouldn't look at her, so she moved to where she could see his face.

"Papyrus, it's not your fault. Really."

He heard her, but didn't reply.

Day just stood, unsure how to fix this.

"… Wait."

His head shot up, "Wait! This wrong! I can't fail at anything! I can't—I won't! Day!" He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, "You don't need to worry about a thing! I will help you through these trying times, and I'll keep being your cool friend... and we'll act like this all never happened! That way, neither of us have to be embarrassed for anything!"

She smiled a little, "If you say so."

"I mean, after all, you _are_ very great! It would be tragic to lose your friendship!"

Day flushed again, but not in embarrassment.

 _Wow, a genuine compliment—it *is* effective._

… _Maybe the "tragic" and "very great" were a bit exaggerated._

"And please, don't cry because I won't kiss you... because I don't even have lips. So that would prove rather difficult." He grinned, "And hey! Someday, you'll find someone as great as me!"

Day laughed quietly, "I don't know…"

"Yeah, you're right. That's not possible. BUT I'll help you settle for second best!" Papyrus opened his arms, "So… how about a platonic hug?"

She accepted, standing on her toes in order to wrap her arms around his neck. "Platonically," of course.

After a moment, Papyrus lifted her onto his shoulders, "Now, you want to get home, don't you? I can show you the way, if you'd like! It _is_ the friendly thing to do!"

"Okay," she agreed, "Thank you."

"No problem, Day!" Practically skipping, he left his bedroom briskly, "Let's go!"

* * *

Oh. So this is what being tall felt like.

Day held tight to Papyrus' scarf as he practically flew through Snowdin, traveling several feet with each stride.

Again, the monsters outside watched them attentively, not daring to approach.

When they'd almost cleared the town, she spotted the orange cloak of Mephistopheles, who was lurking around the corner of a building. His sewn-on gaze was locked onto hers.

Deciding to make up for the earlier hesitation, Day released her hold briefly to wave at him.

The shadowy hand emerged from his cloak and returned the wave.

Soon, the buildings had vanished from sight, and the forest returned. This time, Papyrus was sure to keep far away from the river, sticking devoutly to the path.

The tall, rocky figures in the distance grew closer, and in a matter of minutes, towered well above them. Once she could make them out clearly, Day realized that it was actually a narrowing of the cavern around them. Directly ahead, the bare path led into the entrance of a cave, beside which the river flowed steadily.

"Well, here we are!" Papyrus told her, "This is the end of Snowdin and the beginning of Waterfall! Now that I think about it, maybe they're not the most creative names… but they're definitely easy to remember!"

"They are," she agreed.

Papyrus reached back to grab her, then gently lowered her to the ground.

"Now that we're here, I hereby grant you permission to pass through!" Papyrus declared, "And even better, I'll give you directions to the surface so you can get home! Are you listening?"

Day nodded eagerly, giving him her full attention.

"Alright, here it is: continue forward until you reach the end of the cavern. That's the hard part. And then, when you reach the capital, cross the barrier! That's the magical seal trapping us all underground: anything can enter through it, but nothing can exit... except someone with a powerful soul!" He gave her an encouraging grin, "Like you!"

"You think so?"

"I sure do! That's why the king wants to acquire a human, after all; he wants to open the barrier with soul power! Then we monsters can return to the surface like we all dream about!"

"So someone with a strong soul can open the barrier?" she asked curiously.

"That's right! A lot of people have tried, but nothing's worked yet—but I don't think a human has ever tried before! So if you did, who knows what will happen?"

She nodded.

"Oh, and before I forget—in order to get to the barrier you have to pass through… _the king's castle."_ His voice took an ominous tone, "The king of all monsters: King Asgore."

The name sent a shiver down her spine, remembering the contempt with which Toriel had spat it. And those dreaded words rang clearly in her mind _: If you leave these ruins, they… Asgore will kill you!_

"Yes, our king," Papyrus continued, "He's… well…" Suddenly, his grim composure was broken by a laugh, "Oh, who am I kidding? He's a big fuzzy pushover! Everybody loves that guy!"

Well that was unexpected.

"In fact, I am certain if you just say "Excuse me, Mr. Dreemurr... can I please go home?" he'll guide you right to the barrier himself! He's very helpful like that!"

Day nodded, "Okay, I will."

Papyrus nodded in return, "Well… I guess this is goodbye for now."

"… I guess so."

He stood awkwardly, "… Well. Good luck!"

"Thank you."

Still, neither moved. Day wasn't ready to leave behind another friend, knowing very well the possibility she'd never see him again, either.

Papyrus cleared his throat, "You know… you talked about your home not being very fun." He wrung his gloves, "So if you happen to get home and are unhappy again… you could always come back! There's still plenty of fun things to do, here!"

Day smiled sadly, "I would like that."

"So would I!"

Another silence.

"… Well."

She studied her shoes, "Well… goodbye."

"Yes. Goodbye."

Day took in a breath, then turned away from him, and managed a single step.

"Wait!"

She spun around hastily, "Yes?"

"… Maybe just one more hug would bring you even more luck?"

"I think it would." With that, she hurried forward, jumping into his embrace. Day hugged him tightly as she could manage, reluctant to let go again.

After a moment that felt far too brief, Papyrus set her down.

"Well, goodbye again. For real." He backed up, "Break a leg out there!"

"Okay."

"B-but not really! I meant it as a figure of speech, not as bad luck! Please do not break your leg! Or arm! Or anything at all!"

"I won't."

"Alright!" Papyrus took another step back. "Bye Day!" Another step. "See you later!"

"Bye Papyrus."

"Bye!"

He took another step.

Day realized he didn't want to be the one to turn his back. She didn't either… but someone had to do it.

With a deep breath, Day turned around. And walked forward.

Sounds of the water grew louder, so if he was calling after her, she wouldn't have heard him, anyway.

Just before entering the cave, Day stopped walking.

 _If you look back, you'll never be able to leave._

… The thing was, she wasn't entirely sure she _wanted_ to leave. Papyrus' offer still stood.

 _You left Toriel to go home. There's no turning back now._

Day took in another breath, and it filled her with determination. She had a goal: the barrier. If she could just make it to the barrier, she was as good as home.

... To the barrier, then.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for powering through to the end! I hope you enjoyed! Onto Waterfall we go! Feel free to comment on things you liked/think could have been done better! Have a nice day!**_


	12. Of Fires and Fries

_**This chapter was originally going to be pivotal to the story... but instead is more of a side-plot. That's okay, I suppose... it's got plenty of puns, because I know you all adore those. :3**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

The cavern echoed with sounds of rushing water. It was cold, but not in the way the forest was—a damp cold, not a dry, biting one.

Day rubbed her hands together, getting rid of the last of the chill, and came to the realization that she no longer had her trusty stick for protection. Hopefully she wouldn't run into another terrifying monster—

"Yo! Look out!"

The lizard-like monster prompted the warning too late, and plowed directly into Day. She stumbled back a few steps, but managed to regain her footing.

"Yo, sorry!" It scurried up attentively, "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright," she assured.

"Okay, cool. So yo, you're a kid too, right?"

"Yes…" The question seemed a little odd; it was obvious, wasn't it? "My name's Day."

"Yo, cool! I could tell you were a kid—because only kids wear striped shirts!"

Indeed, the monster sported a yellow and brown striped sweater… which appeared to be missing sleeves. Day decided not to mention it.

"And yo, my name's Zeta—" She made a face of disgust, "But I hate it, so don't call me that!"

Day nodded, "Okay. Zeta's a nice name, though."

"Well sure it's _nice,_ but it's not cool!" Zeta insisted, "And I wanna be _cool,_ not _nice!_ " She grinned, "And you know someone who's cool?"

"Who?"

"Undyne, duh! She's the coolest of anyone! I'm sneaking off to go see her, right now…" Zeta giggled in anticipation, "Oh man, this is gonna be _soooo_ awesome! You should totally go see her too!"

"I will," Day agreed.

"Cool! I'll see you later then!" Zeta spun around to leave, but lost her balance and face-planted into the unforgiving, rocky floor.

Day gasped, "Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!"

Zeta just rolled onto her back, grinning—there was a tooth missing.

"Yeah, happens all the time!" she claimed, "But I'm tough—doesn't faze me a bit!"

Even still, Day rushed forward to help her. It was difficult; she couldn't just give her a _hand_ (Zeta had none to receive it with), but she managed to work out a method of support, and Zeta was back on her feet in no time.

"Yo, thanks!" she said, "I'll make us even later!"

"Oh, you don't have to—"

Zeta had already run off, undeterred by the previous fall.

Day decided to keep moving, and headed deeper inside the cave—

"Now that's what I call a _pick me up._ "

She recognized the voice, and turned towards it source.

Sans had his feet propped up against the counter of another sentry station, reclining comfortably. Grateful for a familiar face, Day approached, standing on the opposite side of the station.

"Hi Sans."

"Hey kid. Decided to start trekking ahead, huh?"

"Mm-hm."

Sans nodded towards the path behind her, "Saw you helping out Stripes, there." He scoffed slightly, "Just think, not even a _day_ ago, you were terrified of her. Actually wasn't too much longer back you thought Pap and I were scary, too… course, I hope you're still a _little_ afraid of me."

Day gave him a skeptical smile; this time, she was determined to answer the question properly, without taunting interruptions from his end.

"I'm not afraid of you," she told him simply.

Sans looked surprised, "Oh you're not, are you?"

"No."

He chuckled, then offered her a wink, "Well… maybe you should be."

She took the remark as a joke and laughed briefly before changing the subject, "So what are you doing here?"

"Working. Like I always do." It oozed sarcasm.

"I thought you worked in the forest?"

"I do."

"You have two jobs?"

"Looks like it."

Day blinked, "Wow."

"Impressive, huh?" Sans removed his pink slippers from the stand, "And you know, the best part about having two jobs is that you get double the amount of legally required breaks. In fact, I think I'm feeling one now…" He stretched lazily, then emerged from behind the station, "Wanna come with?"

The barrier wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon; she nodded.

"Alright, if you insist…" He sighed in an exasperated manner, "I suppose I could manage to _pry_ myself away from work for a few minutes." Sans nodded towards the cave, "We can go this way—I've got a short cut."

She followed attentively, walking beside him (and remembering not to stand too close).

"You know, it's funny you mention me having two jobs," he commented, pocketing his hands, "I wasn't always a sentry."

"You weren't?"

"Nope."

"What did you used to do?"

The corner of his grin twitched slightly, "Well I used to be a banker… but, y'know, I lost _interest."_

Day caught the joke; she giggled.

"So then I started working at a calendar factory, but—get this—I got fired for taking a _day off._ " He chuckled at the joke before she could, "Heh, _day._ Didn't even plan that part."

Instead of aggravating her, the "day" puns were her favorites, so her smile widened drastically.

"After that, I started working for this juice factory. But again, I got _canned_ —just couldn't _concentrate."_

… She didn't get that one.

When she didn't laugh, he shrugged, "Yeah, that one was a little hard to _swallow._ Don't worry about it, I'll _quit_ —unemployment jokes never _work_ anyway."

Day laughed even harder, to make up for the last one.

"How do you come up with these so fast?" she asked, still giggling.

"Eh, just practice I guess. I use 'em on Pap all the time- he _loves_ 'em."

Day caught the heavy sarcasm, "I think they're funny."

"Yeah?" His grin spread, "Well… that makes you one of the few."

The cavern opened up into the next room, the sound of water practically deafening. It trickled across the path, morphing into a roaring waterfall over the side. The sheer size of it made Day stop and stare, in awe.

"Just over here," Sans told her, standing near the path's edge. Day joined him, but only briefly. Looking down, there seemed to be no end. Subconsciously, she took a step or two back—she'd made this mistake once before, and it landed her underground. She wasn't interested in anything that lied below.

Sans caught the movement, "Pretty far down, huh?"

She nodded.

"Good thing, too. That way, if something goes wrong when we jump, we've got a few extra seconds to think up a plan."

Day stared, waiting for him to acknowledge it as a joke.

He didn't.

"W-what?" she spoke up somewhat uneasily, hoping she'd misheard him.

He just pointed, "That's the shortcut."

"W-what?!"

Sans shook his head, "It's not as bad as it looks. Come on; it'll be fun."

Day backed up rapidly, thinking he'd lost his mind.

"N-no! I'm not going to j-jump off there!" she insisted adamantly.

"Aw, how come?"

"Because it's dangerous!"

He scoffed, "What? No way… look, I'll show you." Carelessly, Sans dangled a foot over the edge.

"No!" Day panicked, "Sans, don't!"

He just smirked teasingly, "Why?"

"You'll get hurt!"

"So?"

"I-I don't want you to get hurt!"

"Oh I'll be fine. If anything, I'd finally make a _splash_ in the world… heheh…"

"Sans!" she pleaded again, "Don't!"

Sans rolled his eyes, returned his foot to the ground and faced her, looking annoyed.

"Fine. If you don't wanna have any fun, I'll just come back over there without any tricks and—" In a single motion, he let himself fall backwards, "—whoops."

"SANS!"

With no heed for her own safety, Day dove forward in a futile attempt to save him. To her horror, there was no sign of him anywhere. Only darkness.

Day covered her mouth to stifle the gasp. He was gone.

"… No…" Tears sprang up in her eyes, "No!" Just like that, he was gone for good. Why had he done that?! Why did he jump?! "Sans! _Sans!"_

"Yeah? What's up?"

Day froze.

"Sans?!"

"That's my name. And you might not wanna get too close to the edge there—wouldn't want you falling off."

His voice was coming from behind her, so Day spun around—

Sans was grinning, hands pocketed casually, standing before her without a single scratch.

"Miss me?"

Day was paralyzed with shock and disbelief, relief not yet arising in her. She could only stare.

His smile slowly dissolved, "Are… you crying?"

She blinked, feeling the hot tears on her cheeks.

" _No."_ As if he could be further convinced, she rubbed any trace of them away with a sleeve, "B-but—how did you—do that?!"

There was a long pause, as he was still watching her with an expression of confusion.

"…I told you, it's a short cut." He returned to the edge, "I've done it plenty of times; I know what I'm doing by now."

It did little to comfort her, and she continued to eye the emptiness with immense fear.

Sans scoffed, but quietly, "Hey, come on, kid. You trust me, don't you?"

Wasn't that the question? Day studied her hands, head down, not giving an immediate answer.

"… Hm." Sans stared down at the falling water, looking serious. "… Well, that's fine, too. Guess I haven't really given you much of a reason to want to, huh? Just thought maybe you'd—nah, nevermind. Just forget I offered or anything, it's fi—"

"No," she interrupted hastily, "No, wait! I-I trust you."

Sans was skeptical, "Oh yeah? Why?"

"I… uh…" Day's mind went blank at the worst possible time, "I just do."

"Doesn't seem like a very strong reason to me."

"Well, I still do."

"Yeah?"

Her eyes began to drift back to the ledge, but she forced them to focus on him, "Yes, I'm sure."

He studied her closely for an inconsistency. She met his gaze timidly, shrinking a bit but not stepping down. Eventually, he gave in.

"Alright. If you say so." Sans moved closer to the edge, standing in line with her, "You ready?"

Day refused to look down; she nodded.

"Alright…" He was grinning slightly, "Might wanna hold on; dunno how this works with humans."

 _Now he tells me!_

"I mean, wouldn't want you to get stuck halfway, lose your whole left side—course then, you'd still be _all right!"_

Day was in no mood to laugh. Now breaking the great unspoken rule between them, Day hesitantly grabbed hold of the hem of his jacket, still expecting reprimandation.

Sans glanced down when he felt the tug, but otherwise, didn't comment.

"Get ready, kid," he prepped, "Now, when I say "three," you gotta jump with me. Got it?"

She jerked her head down in a nod, keeping her eyes up.

"Alright, then… one…"

Her grip tightened, and Day swallowed heavily. Why couldn't they have just _walked_ to wherever he was taking them?

"Two…"

She began to shake. _This is bad, this is going to end very badly. I don't wanna do this, don't make me do this, please don't make me do this—_

"Oh hey, forgot to ask; you're not scared of heights, are you?"

"A l-little."

"Man, you definitely should've said something earlier— _three!"_

Day ignored common sense and jumped.

* * *

"Here we are. Now that wasn't so terrifying, was it?"

Day kept her eyes slammed shut, clutching his jacket with both hands.

Sans scoffed, "Oh come on, this place isn't _that_ awful." He paused, "Don't tell Grillby I said that."

Slowly, Day opened one eye, expecting to see nothing but darkness…

They were back in Snowdin, no longer plummeting, standing safely before a building larger than the surrounding small cottages.

"Wh-what?!" she gasped, turning around quickly, "How did—"

Suddenly, the world buckled beneath her feet, and Day toppled over, "Whoa—!"

She lost hold of Sans's jacket, but fortunately for her, he was quicker than she'd given him credit; he'd snagged the back of her sweater only seconds before she hit the ground.

"Heh, what's up with you?" he asked, snickering, "You dizzy, kid?"

Everything seemed to spin before her eyes, "Uh-huh."

"Don't worry, it wears off pretty quick." With a jerk, he pulled her back to her feet, "Better that than being split in half, right?"

She blinked furiously, oblivious to the taunt.

"Lemme know when you feel like walking again," he told her, "Wouldn't want you to go stumbling around and run into a wall or something. _You_ might not want it, anyway. Could be pretty funny on my part."

Day placed a hand on either side of her head, steadying herself. Gradually, the nauseating swirl began to ebb away, and she could stand on her own.

"You good?"

"I think so."

"Still not _day_ zed at all?"

She grinned, "No. You already said that one."

"And? If it ain't broke, don't fix it." He nodded towards the door of the building, "C'mon, you'll like this place."

Day obeyed, craning her neck to read the buzzing orange sign above them: "Grillby's."

Sans entered, then propped open the door for her to follow.

The moment they set foot inside, a chorus of greetings erupted from everyone within. It appeared to be a restaurant, dimly lit, and packed with several monsters.

"Hey Sans!" a plant-like monster called out to him.

"Hiiii Sansy," another coaxed almost flirtatiously, following it up with a hiccup.

Sans merely nodded to those he passed, or at most, offered a slight wave. He paused at a large table, where several dogs were sitting over a game of cards.

"'Sup dogs?"

Two enormous cloaked figures turned to face him, revealing themselves to be no more than giant white dogs.

"Hey Sans!"

"Hi Sans!"

… Why did they sound so familiar? Day felt like she'd heard them before, but couldn't remember where…

"What are you doing here, Sans?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you be at your sentry station?"

"I dunno… shouldn't you?" He was smirking.

One of the dogs huffed, "No! We were working all day yesterday!"

"That's right, dear! We worked very hard! And at one point, we even thought we'd found a human!"

 _OH NO. IT'S THEM._

Day hurried to hide behind Sans, hoping they wouldn't sniff her out again.

"Oh yeah?" He didn't need to glance back to know what she was doing, "Well, what would you have done, if you _did_ happen to find a human?"

"What _wouldn't_ we have done?!"

"Tell him, Dogaressa!"

"Alright, dear! We've planned this out for a long time, so it's practically foolproof!" The dog sat eagerly, bristling with anticipation, "First, when we catch the scent of a human, we track it down! Then, once we find it—we POUNCE on it!"

"Yeah! That'll take care of it!"

"And then to make sure it can't run away, we pounce on it again!"

"Yes! Even more pouncing!"

"Sounds like a plan, alright," Sans agreed, "Wouldn't you say, Day?"

She shook her head vigorously.

"What? You don't think so?"

"Sans," she begged in a hushed voice, "Don't let them pounce on me!"

He scoffed, "Oh come on, I would never do something like that…" His grin turned mischievous, "Hm… but now that I think about it…"

Day noticed that one of the dogs had begun to sniff the air, searching for something—most likely her.

"By the way, Sans," the other dog commented, "Weren't you here a few minutes ago for breakfast?"

"Nah, I haven't had breakfast for at least half an hour," he explained, "You must be thinking of _brunch_."

The dogs howled with laughter, and Sans used the distraction to usher Day away, unnoticed.

"Ya see?" He chuckled, "I know what I'm doing."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Now keep up, before someone else decides they want to try and attack you."

As if she needed further reminders.

He led her to a bar at the back of the restaurant, where a bird-like monster lounged lazily, and another slumped against the counter, snoring.

"Heya Sans," the first greeted.

He nodded, "Hey. Grillby didn't make a run for it, did he?"

The monster laughed, "Nah, not yet. He's in the back."

"Ah." Sans single-handedly heaved himself up onto a barstool, "He must've known I was coming back."

Day was going to join them, but saw that the barstool was at least as tall as she was; climbing it would prove a challenge.

She placed her hands on the empty seat and tried to pull herself up. Still sore from the previous icy excursion, her strength gave out in only seconds, and she returned to the floor, feeling just as short and insignificant as before.

 _I really hope no one saw that,_ she thought, not daring to turn around and check. Deciding not to bother anyone for help, she made a second attempt—

And found herself sitting comfortably on the stool, with no idea how she got there.

Sans was staring at her, looking amazed, "… Whoa."

For half a second, Day swore she glimpsed something flash in one of his sockets, but it was too brief to be certain.

"Talk about being _strong_ willed," he commented, "Remind me not to arm-wrestle you anytime soon—you might take mine right off."

Day still wasn't sure how she'd managed it, but she smiled a bit proudly, anyway. _Guess I wasn't as tired as I thought…?_

Sans attention was suddenly diverted, "Hey, there's my favorite hothead!"

Day turned to see who he was referring to, and gasped.

The bartender looked to be entirely consumed by fire, and furthermore, not the least bit concerned about that fact. He had no facial features, save a simple pair of glasses. Upon seeing Sans, he set down a cup he'd begun to clean and approached.

Sans seemed to have gained a permanent, wry smirk, "Hey Grillby. Miss me?"

He said nothing, and the lack of eyes and mouth made it difficult to gauge an expression from him.

"He's usually a lot more chatty," Sans told her off to the side, "Maybe even more than you—if you can believe that."

Grillby walked closer to see who Sans was muttering to, and seeing her, simply stared.

Day fidgeted, unable to tell what he was thinking.

Sans casually broke up the silence, "Oh yeah, I didn't tell ya; I've got a little duckling following me around, today." He nudged Day in the arm, "Say hello to Grillby, duckling."

She raised her hand in a timid wave, "Hi."

Grillby followed in suit, offering her a polite nod. He seemed friendly.

Sans chuckled, "See? Knew he'd _warm up_ to you." He turned to Grillby, "How about two of the usual?"

Grillby nodded, leaving the bar and disappearing through a door in the back corner.

"So…" Sans leaned up against the bar counter, "Heard you and Pap went on a little adventure this morning." His grin was wide and taunting, "Could've been interpreted by some as a… _date._ "

Day's cheeks flushed, "Wh-what?!"

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

"H-how did you know that?!" she stammered, incredibly embarrassed.

Sans seemed to be enjoying the reactions he was eliciting, "Oh you know, I have my ways… Just things you hear… rumors… most of them from Lavinia."

 _Why, Lavinia_?!

"But anyway, how'd that go?"

"Uh…"

"Did he show you his special "date" outfit?"

"Yes."

"Pretty cool, right?"

She could only giggle, made uneasy by the excessive questions, "Yes."

"Yeah, gotta agree with you there." Suddenly, his smile vanished, "Wait… did he…?" It returned, crooked, "The spaghetti?"

Day knew exactly what he was referring to; she nodded.

Sans suddenly burst out laughing, slapping a palm down on the counter.

"Oh—oh man—" He was nearly breathless, "Oh my god—how'd that turn out for you? Don't tell me you ate it?"

"I had to," she reasoned, "I didn't want to make him upset."

Sans was still cackling, "So you ate it? You actually ate it?"

"Yes."

"My god…" He wiped a socket with his sleeve, "Oh man… you're a lot braver than I gave you credit, kid."

Day couldn't help but smile at his enjoyment, "It wasn't… too bad…"

"HA!" Sans scoffed, "Sure kid, and I'm a contributing member of society."

When he finally regained his calm composure, Sans sighed contentedly, "But really, I'm sure Pap had fun; he seems to like you a bunch… so… thanks for that."

"Oh, sure! I had fun too."

"Yeah, kinda hard not to, with him." He scoffed, "So much for capturing you and handing you off to Undyne, huh?"

There was that name again.

"Sans? Who's Undyne?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, no one's really explained her to you, huh?" Sans shifted in his seat to face her, "She's captain of the royal guard." He nodded back towards the congregation of dogs, "Those guys work for her. They make sure everything runs smoothly in the underground, since the king can't be everywhere at once."

Day nodded along, listening.

"She's… heh, you can imagine what she's like, since she's gotta keep everyone in order."

"… No? What's she like?"

"Oh she's great," Sans replied, "Bossy, loud, punches anybody who disagrees with her,… she broke our couch in half one time." He paused, "And another time she set our kitchen on fire." He paused again, "There's a hole in the wall behind fridge, thanks to her. So, as you'd expect, she and Pap are best friends."

Day was intimidated by the mere description of her; maybe it would be wise if she _didn't_ go looking for Undyne.

"Eh, but you shouldn't worry about her too much," he assured, "Of course, she patrols Waterfall everyday looking for humans to capture and bring in to the king… and sure she'd probably spear you faster than you can blink… but look at the bright side."

…

"Yes?" she prodded.

"What?"

"What's the bright side?"

"Well… I mean, half the guys here don't even recognize you as a human; that or they don't mind too much. So maybe you'll get lucky and slip by her." He shrugged, "Unlikely, but hey, doesn't mean it can't happen, right?"

She decided that Sans wasn't the best person to come to for reassurance; Day felt more worried than before.

Grillby returned, balancing a plate on each hand, and set them down in front of she and Sans. They were piled high with golden fries, somehow unsinged despite having been engulfed in flames only a moment ago.

"Thanks Grillz."

"Thank you," Day told him also.

He nodded to them both, then returned to a spot further down the bar, cleaning up a spill.

"Hey Jamie," Sans called to his bird acquaintance, gesturing to something on the counter, "Pass me that?"

"Sure." He slid it down, "You could've gotten it real easily yourself, you know."

"Yeah, but I got it even easier from you, with less work on my part." He held up the red bottle to Day, "Want ketchup?"

"No thank you."

"More for me, then…" Sans gained a devious expression, "Hey. You think I could drink this whole thing?"

Day gave him a weird look, "Uh… I don't know. It might not taste that good—"

"Welp, only one way to find out." Without any hint of reconsideration, he popped off the cap, and proceeded to down the bottle.

Jamie was nearly squawking with laughter, "Yeah, man! Chug! Chug!"

Grillby wasn't nearly as impressed. With what appeared to be a sigh, he reached beneath the bar and withdrew a large crate—entirely filled with ketchup bottles. He removed one, then strategically placed it on the opposite side of Day, offering her a look that seemed to say "this happens a lot."

She smiled a little, feeling sorry for him.

Sans thunked the empty bottle down on the counter, incredibly proud of his accomplishment.

"Huh. I guess I _can_ drink an entire bottle."

Day giggled, only a bit more entertained than she was disgusted, "I guess so."

Grillby had an arm against the bar, and was tapping the counter with a finger in a disapproving manner.

Sans noticed this, so he smiled innocently, "Yeah? What's up?"

He reached up to his own face, made a rubbing motion by his cheek, then tossed Sans a rag.

Understanding the gesture, Sans rolled his eyes and wiped off the ketchup that had dribbled down his face, "Aw, so you _do_ care."

Grillby made a brief sound, like a huff, seeming to disagree.

Sans chuckled, then joked to Day, "I'm thinking that was for you. It sounded to me like he said he would offer you water, but he doesn't touch the stuff."

At this, Grillby turned to face her, then shook his head with a controlled simplicity. She laughed, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Oh I see how it is," Sans said flatly, "Go ahead and turn on me, kid. Laugh at the fireball with a bowtie."

After another heavy sigh, Grillby took back the rag (at first, Sans planned to hold out and keep it for himself). He returned to his cleaning, but not before taking the empty ketchup bottle, giving Sans a long, expressionless look.

"Little bit of a _fiery_ temper on that one," Sans commented, and seemed a bit reassured when she giggled at the joke; she hadn't conformed to the enemy side, just yet.

Day nibbled on a fry absently; it seemed like forever since she'd had fast food.

"Oh yeah," Sans remembered, "I was meaning to ask you something."

She turned to face him attentively, "Yes?"

Sans now looked serious, "Have you ever heard… of a talking flower?"

Day practically choked on her food.

"Wh-what?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous," he replied, shifting his gaze to the side, "You probably wouldn't—"

"Wait! I know what you're talking about!"

"… You do?"

"Yes…" She could still hear Flowey's shrill laughter, "I do."

"Huh, so you know all about it then… the echo flower." He flicked at a fry rather than eating it, "They're all over the marsh. You say something to 'em, and they repeat it back to you until they hear something else."

 _That doesn't sound like Flowey…_ But Day didn't interrupt.

"What about it?" Sans asked when he saw her questioning expression, "Well… Papyrus told me something interesting the other day. It hasn't been sitting right..."

 _He must be worried,_ she thought, _he passed right over a pun of my name._

"Sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower pops up and… tells him things." Sans was no longer smiling, "Things like encouragement and advice, flattery… _predictions_."

Day suddenly became aware of how quiet the restaurant was. Conversations droned at low levels, and everyone seemed preoccupied with themselves.

"… Pretty weird, huh?" His tone had returned to normal, as if the previously dark mood had never occurred, "I'm thinking that someone is using an echo flower to play a trick on him… might be something else altogether, I dunno. So you keep an eye out, okay? Since… heh, I can't exactly help with that." He stuck a finger in an empty socket to clarify his point.

She laughed, more quietly than usual, "Okay. I will."

"Mmkay."

Day waited for some sort of additional comment, but didn't get one, so she glanced over. Sans was staring at the wall behind the bar.

"… Sans?"

"Huh?" He sounded distracted, "What?"

"Are you okay?"

He blinked, "Oh—sorry, I was just thinking of something else Papyrus said, a while back. Heh… involving the spaghetti he had you choke down… So he was trying to make a new batch this one time…"

Day wasn't convinced, but she didn't interrupt him. It wasn't any of her business to pry, anyway.

"—and I told him to _spaghett-a-bout_ it. Eheh… he didn't really care for the joke… must've _pasta_ right over his head. I was _alfredo_ that happening."

Grillby had approached them, but the moment he heard puns being spewed, seemed to regret it.

Sans' grin perked when he saw this, "Come on Grillby, you know you love 'em."

He shook his head, buffing up the counter beside Day.

"Aw, dude… don't give me the _cold_ shoulder."

Grillby sighed.

"You know, this isn't really the _warm_ welcome you're known for… but of course, since you're the boss of this place, you don't really have to worry about getting _fired."_

He was becoming increasingly more annoyed; Day could practically feel it.

Sans was smirking, and decided it was time to whip out his "A" material, "You know… I was talking to Lavinia earlier."

Grillby suddenly became intent on removing every speck from the countertop. Day realized that the flames emitting from his head seemed less controlled than before.

"You wanna know what she said?"

Grillby didn't reply.

"Yeah, it wasn't anything special… just saying how business is good…" He ate a few fries, taking all the time he needed to let the suspense build, "I think she mentioned you."

A few sparks flew up from his hands. He hid one inside his apron pocket, and held the dirtied rag with a tense fist.

"Now… what was it she said? Gimme a second to think… I'll remember it…"

Grillby no longer pretended to wipe the counter; he was listening intently.

"… Oh yeah." Sans snickered, "She just said hi. I think I vaguely remember her mentioning something about you being _hot_ or som—"

Without warning, the plate of fries erupted in a fierce blaze. Sans jerked his arm away, barely managing to avoid them. His sockets were wide in surprise.

"Whoa! Grillby!"

Grillby replaced a sleeve, returning to his work. His flames had died down again.

"… Well then." Sans moved the plate away, "I… guess I'll _cool_ it, then."

He received a look of warning.

"Okay okay," Sans held up his hands in defense, still smiling, "I get it. You want me to _chill out_ with the puns."

Day was trying not to giggle, for Grillby's sake, but was failing miserably. He decided to let the frustration evaporate, and instead removed his glasses to clean them, occupying himself passively.

"You know Lavinia?" she asked him, though she knew it probably wouldn't do much good, with his evasion to conversation.

Grillby nodded slightly.

"Yep," Sans confirmed, "Knows her reeeeal well..."

He was tempting fate again, and they all knew it.

"I met her earlier," Day commented quickly, before another incident could erupt, "She's nice."

Sans was chuckling, "Trust me, he's _very_ aware-"

He was quieted when Grillby turned sharply. Day decided to stop adding fuel to the fire. Instead, seeing that Sans' plate was still burning away, Day quietly slid over her own, hoping not to make a big deal about it.

Despite her wishes, Sans caught the gesture, "What are you…? Hey, come on now, none of that. Those are yours, kid."

She shrugged, "It's okay. I'm not that hungry."

He looked skeptical, "Sure? Really, you don't have to—heck, I walked into it. I'm just surprised Grillz didn't set _me_ on fire—"

Day just smiled, "It's okay."

Sans stared at her, then broke into a smile.

"… Thanks kid." He nudged her in the arm, "And to think, I was gonna have you foot the bill."

"I don't think so."

They both spun around. Grillby acted as though he hadn't spoken. When they continued to stare, he glanced up, then shrugged simply.

"You've got a tab." His voice was low and almost fainter than Day's. He made another sound, somewhat of a scoff, "One you need to pay off."

Sans waved it away, "Yeah yeah, I will… ya don't need to get all _hot_ under the collar over it…" Grillby's flames heightened in warning, "No puns. Right. I forgot."

Day giggled, enjoying their "banter."

"Well anyway… I'm gonna hang out here for a while longer," he told her, "You should probably be heading back to Waterfall, to get home and whatnot."

"Yeah…" Day wished she could stay a little longer, but didn't argue. She knew he was right.

"Don't worry, I won't make you walk all the way back and risk you taking a dive in the river," he told her, "I can send you back same way we got here. It'll probably work."

 _Probably?!_

"If you say so…"

"I'll let you know if any part of you gets left behind here."

She was not reassured.

"Okay." Day remembered to wave at Grillby, "Bye Grillby. It was nice to meet you."

He returned the wave.

"Have fun, kid." Sans placed a hand on her shoulder, and suddenly, a blue glow sprung up in one of his sockets.

She had no chance to recoil—the next second, Day was gone.

Sans withdrew his hand from the empty air, sinking into the counter tiredly.

Grillby crossed his arms, standing before him expectantly.

Sans glanced up, "What?"

No explanation was required.

He sighed in exasperation, "Alright, so she's not as bad as I thought. Ya happy?"

Grillby beckoned towards himself. With a half-hearted growl, Sans reached into his jacket pocket, then slapped down a few gold coins on the bar.

"There. Last time I bet against you."

The bartender chuckled, casually collecting his winnings.

Sans didn't bother to fabricate an excuse for his defeat; he put his head in his arms, exhaling steadily.

"This doesn't mean anything for certain…" he commented, "There's no way to know if she won't turn around and…" Sans laughed humorlessly, "You know?"

Grillby didn't reply.

He groaned quietly, rubbing his temples; he hadn't slept the previous night, and it was starting to catch up with him.

"It's near noon," Grillby told him lowly. _So you should go home and stop sleeping on my bar_ was the unspoken implication that followed.

Sans sat up, refusing to give in, "Nah… couldn't sleep if I wanted to. No point in trying." He ignored the light-headed sensation that was beginning to spread, "Do me a favor and get me a glass of—"

"Sans," he cautioned.

"I'm fine, Grillz," he assured, "Come on."

Grillby huffed, "… _One._ "

"Yeah yeah."

He went off to search for the specific bottle, and Sans fought to stay awake just a little bit longer.

"Wonder if the kid got there safe?" he thought aloud, not sounding concerned in the slightest (mostly on the account of drowsiness). _… Eh. What's the worst that could've happened from here to there?_

* * *

Day was lying flat on her back in the middle of a shallow puddle, recovering from the unexpected 10-foot fall.

"Ow."

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to comment about any critiques/compliments you may have; I appreciate all feedback.  
**_


	13. Getting Schooled in Waterfall

_**We're back! Just a little preliminary note: with the update to Undertale, some of the dialogue is different... but be that as it may, I plan to stick to the original version, for the most part. I may include a line or two from the update, but yeah. Just in case you were wondering.**_

 _ **Anyway, on we go!**_

* * *

Now dripping water behind her in a trail, Day trudged through the deep puddles covering the rocky path. Her socks were soaked, and water had begun to seep up her pant legs. She shuddered, cold and disgusted, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Gradually, the puddles diminished, and her sneakers squeaked against the smooth rock face. The cavern was dimly lit by what appeared to be blue crystals embedded in the walls, glowing faintly; they almost resembled stars.

 _I guess no one down here gets to see the real stars,_ Day realized, _Or the sun, or the sky, or anything. That's kind of sad…_

She came across a tall patch of grass, growing all the way up to her eyes. She stepped in cautiously, clearing a path with her hands, and traversed blindly ahead.

The blades of grass tickled her cheeks; this wasn't all that bad. She knew it was childish, but Day began to imagine herself traversing through some untamed jungle, tracking an elusive animal through the underbrush… it made the experience much more enjoyable.

Far above, she thought she heard clanking against the rock, so Day peered upwards. The wall stopped halfway to the ceiling, exposing a steep ledge that stretched further back than she could see. Something was perched on the edge, half engulfed in darkness; light bounced off its silvery surface, and it appeared to stand with its back to her.

Day watched curiously, waiting to see if it would move. Another set of clunking erupted, growing closer, so she ducked down.

From the ledge, she heard an unmistakable voice greet, "H-hi Undyne! I'm here with my daily report!"

Day had almost called out to him before she recognized the name: _Undyne._

"Uh… regarding that human I called you about…" Papyrus stopped, as if listening, "Huh? Y-yes! Of course! I fought them valiantly! And—what? Did I capture them?" There was another long pause, "Well… I… no. I tried very hard, really! But in the end… I failed you. I hope you're not mad…"

Day rose slowly, trying to make them out on the cliff.

Papyrus was facing the figure, looking mortified, "What? You're going to take the human's soul yourself?! But—but Undyne, you can't! You don't have to destroy them! S-see, because she's not—"

The figure turned swiftly to face him, and Papyrus faltered, taking a step back.

"… I-I understand…" he stammered, looking downcast, "I'll… I'll help you in any way I can. I won't fail you again, Undyne."

For a while, she didn't move. Then, suddenly, she extended an arm: Day withheld a gasp.

Undyne simply set a hand on Papyrus' shoulder, giving him a long look. He attempted to smile, bit it seemed strained.

Day decided to take the opportunity and make her escape. She took a single step forward, brushing aside the grass—

" _Who's there?!_ " There was a low hum, steadily growing louder, " _Show yourself!"_

Day remained frozen in her tracks, not daring to breathe. She prayed the grass would hide any sign of her.

"Uh… Undyne?" Papyrus asked, "Did you see something?"

The silence persisted…

"… I thought I did." The hum died down, and footsteps disappeared down the ledge.

Day rose cautiously, searching for any sign of them. The ledge was vacant.

She exhaled in relief, then emerged out the other side of the path of grass. Directly behind her, it continued to rustle, so Day spun around fearfully—

"YO!"

Zeta barreled into her, and this time, they both hit the ground.

"Oh hey!" she greeted, "It's you again!"

Day was flat on her back, "Uh-huh."

Zeta managed to spring up to her feet without the aid of arms, "Yo, did you see the way Undyne was staring at you?! That. Was. Awesome!"

"I guess so…"

"Aw man, I'm so jealous! What'd you do to get her attention, huh?" Zeta laughed, "C'mon, Day! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!"

She dashed off, but Day didn't follow. No matter what happened, she did _not_ want to run into Undyne. What chance did she have against someone like that?

* * *

There was a gap in the path, filled with stagnant water. Bridging the gap, however, was an odd line of wide flowers, growing tightly together to form a crude pathway.

Day tested one with a foot; it bobbed slightly, but remained more or less in place. "More or less" wasn't very comforting, but it was better than nothing at all. She nervously stepped onto the first flower, it sank a little under her weight, and remained afloat. Day decided to get it over with quickly, and after taking a deep breath in preparation, sprinted across the flowers without stopping.

Safely on the other side, Day relaxed. _At least that's over… no more flower bridges._

It only took a few feet for her to realize the conclusion was mistaken.

Yet again, a gap in the rocks was connected by another flower chain—but this one was slightly different. It faced an active waterfall, causing the chain to sway unsteadily with the current.

"Oh… good," she breathed anxiously, "This isn't going to be fun…"

Day used her previous approach to surmount the obstacle; she ran across the flowers hastily, practically flinging herself onto the opposite shore. This time, she didn't test her luck by relaxing.

As Day prepared herself for the next room (half expecting to find bridge upon bridge of flowers), a sudden jingling sound erupted, making her jump. She searched in confusion for its source, but soon recognized it—her phone! TORIEL!

In a hurry, Day whipped out her phone, fumbling for the correct button.

"Hello?!"

"Hello, human Day! It is I, the Great Papyrus!"

"Oh…" Her disappointment was evident, but she recovered quickly, "I mean, oh! Hi Papyrus."

"Hi! I bet you're wondering how I got this number!" he predicted, "It was easy! I just dialed every number sequentially until I got to yours!"

"Wow," Day responded quietly, still recovering from the momentary rush of hope—it wasn't Toriel. Well, it made sense… after all, Day had left the ruins behind, and there wasn't much more to say about that… But Day had still wished that maybe Toriel was calling to check on her.

"Anyway, what are you wearing?" Papyrus asked abruptly.

Day returned to her senses, "Excuse me?"

"I'm… asking for a friend," he explained, his tone suspicious, "She thought she saw you wearing a pink and purple sweater."

Day had a good guess who that "she" was, and it terrified her.

"So is it true? Are you wearing a pink and purple sweater?"

"Um…" She glanced around cautiously, almost feeling watched, "Y-yes?"

"Alrighty! I get it! Wink wink!" Papyrus had spoken the winks, "Well, thank you! Have a nice day, Day!" He'd hung up before she had a chance to question him.

Day pocketed her phone and stared down at the sweater. It had the potential to get her into a lot of trouble, now. But she couldn't just get rid of it…

She had an idea. Day wriggled out of the heavy knitted sweater, then taking it by the sleeves, tied it around her waist. It left the old, stained t-shirt exposed, but at least now she would be less recognizable to Undyne.

 _Wait… does this mean I'm making Papyrus a liar, now?_ She wondered. He seemed just as intimidated by Undyne as she was, and Day didn't want to get him into more trouble… _I thought Sans said Papyrus was best friends with her? Why would he be scared? This doesn't make any sense…_

Eventually, Day decided to leave her sweater the way it was; more than anything, she was determined to avoid Undyne, so this is what she'd have to do.

She left the room, reinvigorated by the chilly air against her exposed arms.

* * *

"Hello there."

Day stopped, "Hello?"

"Hello?"

She searched for the speaker, "Is someone there?"

"Is someone there?"

It seemed to be some sort of echo, repeating the words back to her. Day noticed a tall blue flower growing near one of the walls, petals fluttering slightly.

"Is someone there?" came again, fainter than before, and the petals fluctuated with the sound. _These must be the echo flowers Sans was talking about._

Day approached curiously, then tested it, "Hello flower."

"Hello flower," it repeated in her voice.

"You look nice today."

"You look nice today." At least it was better for conversation than the dummy from the ruins.

"Ah, talking to flowers, I see!"

That certainly hadn't come from the flower. Day spun around to confront the speaker.

A turtle-like creature chortled, "Caught you in the act!"

Day stood timidly, thinking she'd done something wrong, "Um— I-I—"

He laughed again, "Now there's no need to be bashful! I'm just yanking yer chain, friend!" Once his laughter had subsided, he introduced himself, "The name's Gerson!"

"I'm… I'm Day," she replied, remembering to speak up rather than whisper.

"That right, eh? Haven't seen you around these parts before," he commented, "Where you from?"

"Um…" She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him the truth; he was a total stranger, after all. As far as she knew, he could turn her over to Undyne!

But Day decided it would only be fair to give him the benefit of the doubt, so she hesitantly admitted, "I'm from… above ground."

Gerson stared, "… No fooling?" He stooped down to study her, stroking a long yellowed beard that was centralized below his chin. His eyes widened drastically, "Oho! Yer a human, aren't you?!"

Day nodded, "Yes sir."

"Wah-ha-ha!" He clasped his hat to laugh boisterously, "Why I never thought I'd live to see the day! A human in the underground!"

She cringed, wishing he hadn't spoken so loudly—she didn't know who could be listening.

"My my…" Gerson recollected himself, "Well this is very exciting indeed… why I haven't laid eyes on a human since the great war! It must've been… how many years, now? Hm…"

Day tilted her head to one side, "The great war?"

"Why, the war of humans and monsters, of course!" he exclaimed, "Now don't tell me you've never heard of it!"

She shook her head, "No sir."

"You sure?" He stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Don't they teach you anything in school, up there?"

"I… I mean, I didn't even know that monsters were real, before I came here. So… I guess not…?"

Gerson looked almost offended, "I see… well, I s'pose it's nothing to be too surprised about… after all, the humans spent so much time trying to be rid of us, it makes sense they'd go and erase us from history altogether."

Day was in disbelief; why had she never heard about this before? There was no way a whole race of monsters could've been wiped clean off the face of the earth, right? Someone had to remember them!

"What… was the war about?" she asked curiously.

"Well now, that's a long story," he warned her, "You sure you wanna stick around and find out? It may take a while; you know how old timers are with their stories…"

"That's okay," she reasoned, "I want to know."

"Do ya now?" Gerson grinned crookedly, "I s'pose I could tell you as well as the next monster—living through most of it sure helps! Wah-ha-ha!" He adjusted the hat on his head, "Probably best to start at the beginning… So it used to be, humans and monsters lived together peacefully, using their differences to help one another. But then one day, out of the blue, the humans turned on monster kind and attacked."

"Why?"

"Ain't that the question? Doesn't make much sense, when you really get down to it—humans are stronger than monsters, after all, so it isn't as if they have anything to fear."

Day was surprised, "Really?"

"Oh yeah!" he assured, "Unbelievably strong! Monsters might have magic on their side, but humans… their souls are some of the strongest things there are." To illustrate his point, he tapped the faded red heart printed on the center of her shirt, "Why, it'd take the soul of just about every monster in the underground to equal yours!"

She didn't entirely believe him—judging by her fights against Toriel and Papyrus, she had reason to think that they were considerably stronger than her. Maybe other humans, older ones, had a better chance than her. For the time being, she didn't interrupt.

"But of course, there is a downside," Gerson added, "Ironically, a human's greatest weakness is the strength of their soul. Even after they die, their souls don't die with them—they persist without the body. See, now that's different from a monster soul." He suddenly sounded reflective, "Now us monsters… we're mostly made up of magic; there's not as much physical stuff there as a human. Even though we can do a lotta cool tricks with it, that magic doesn't help us very much when we die. It just… disappears." He made a gesture, displaying empty hands, "Like that. Nothing left. No body, no soul—it all just turns to dust."

Day raised a hand to cover her mouth, "Oh…"

The knowledge didn't settle easily; human souls could live on after death, but not monster souls. That would mean that everyone there, everyone she'd met… Toriel, Papyrus, Sans, Lavinia, Grillby and Zeta… if they were to die… there would be nothing left of them. They'd cease to exist. Even if she were to live forever, Day would never see them again. Ever. Her mind couldn't grasp this concept—it created a knot in the pit of her stomach, and Day crossed her arms around it.

"Now a'course, like everything, there's an exception or two," Gerson clarified, seeing her worry, "There's a certain species of monsters we call "Boss Monsters." Their breed's been around since the dawn of time; incredibly powerful, ancient monsters. There's not too many of 'em left, nowadays… but their souls are strong enough to last after death, even if only for a second or two. It'll break apart and turn to dust, after a while, just like any other monster's would. But if a human gets to one before it does…" He shuddered, "Well, maybe it's best to stop here…"

"What do you mean?" Day questioned, "What could a human do?"

Gerson looked unwilling to continue, "Er… it's not something that's talked about so freely, down here… bit of a dark topic, really…"

Day had come too far to leave without an answer, "Can you please tell me, anyway?"

He sighed, "… I… s'pose if you really want to know…" Gerson waved towards the path, "There's a drawing up by the docks. Does a better job of explaining than I can."

She followed him attentively, hoping to hear more.

"Something I didn't mention earlier… but if a monster happens to defeat a human, they'd have the ability to… take their soul."

"T-take their soul?" Day repeated fearfully.

"That's right." Gerson looked ahead, grim, "A monster with a human's soul… no more than a horrible beast, with the unfathomable power to cause…" He shook his head, "Disaster."

She nodded along, listening solemnly.

"This power to take their souls," Gerson explained, "That's what the humans feared. That's why they attacked us. Even more so, this power has no counter; a human can't take a monster's soul, since it disappears after death. And an incredible power would be needed to take the soul of a living monster, but…" He shuddered, "That's something best not to think about."

Day pondered something, "What about… a boss monster?"

"What about them?"

"You said their souls last after death," she remembered, "So if a human wanted to, I mean, couldn't they take a boss monster's soul if it lasted long enough—"

Gerson was staring at her with an expression of terror, so she stopped.

"… Heh… w-well…" He didn't stand as close to her as before, "I s'pose… it could be possible… I've never known it to happen, yet… a'course, there haven't been too many humans down here to try…"

Day realized that he was suspicious of her now, "I mean—I just wanted to ask, I'm not going to try and—"

"I believe you, friend," he interrupted, a bit too hastily, "Just natural curiosity, I understand…"

She had a feeling he didn't. Day continued to follow him, deciding not to speak up, again.

They walked along a wooden dock, and water sloshed underneath, hitting the rocky wall with rhythmic laps. The surface of the rock was chipped in several places, and upon closer examination, Day realized that they were words, carved into the wall. Most was worn down, illegible, and she couldn't make out more than a letter or two.

"Here it is," Gerson alerted, placing a hand on a certain part of the wall, "This here… gives you a good idea of that "unfathomable power" I was talking about."

Day looked closely to see what he was referring to: it was a carving of…

… She wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to be. But it didn't look welcoming. It seemed to be some sort of monster, but deformed, more appendages than necessary, and… something just felt wrong about it.

"That there is what the humans were afraid of," Gerson explained, "And so, they declared war, to keep themselves safe from us. They attacked suddenly, without warning…" He was staring off into space, as if reliving the memory, "We sent out the strongest we had, fought for our lives, but… in the end, it could hardly be called a war. United against us, the humans were too powerful: we monsters, too weak. Not a single human soul was taken, while countless monsters were turned to dust."

He exhaled slowly, "We surrendered, before all our forces could be taken out. The humans sent forth seven of their most powerful magicians to seal us underground; they created the barrier. Anything can come in, but only a being with a powerful soul can leave."

"You can't get rid of the barrier?" she asked.

"'Fraid not," Gerson told her, "It'd take something as strong as seven human souls to do so… and as you can tell, we don't have much of those, 'round here… so until we do, looks like we're gonna be stuck down here for a good, long while."

"… I'm sorry about that," she said quietly.

He chuckled, "It's no fault of yours— not directly, anyway. You ain't got nothing to be sorry for…" There was a small note of insincerity in his tone, and Day guessed that he held her partially responsible, since she _was_ a human. She felt guilty, nonetheless.

"Well now," Gerson dropped his serious tone in favor of a more casual one, "Guess I should let you get a move on—went off rambling, again! Wah-ha!" He pointed to the end of the dock, "That there's the way to go; has a raft that'll take you to the other end of the dock, so long as you're not afraid to get a little wet!"

Day walked forward to get a better look at the raft in question; it was no more than a square plank of wood, sitting idle against the dock.

"Um… is it safe?"

"Oh sure it's safe!" he guaranteed, "Haven't had a human yet who's fallen off! Not hard, when there's no humans down here in the first place! Wah-ha-ha!"

Day stared down at her transportation distrustfully; she sat at the edge of the dock, then shakily maneuvered herself onto the raft. It tilted from side to side, threatening to dump her headlong into the water, but Day managed to remained seated, legs crossed tightly beneath her.

"Here, I'll give you a proper send-off," Gerson offered, gently pushing her by the shoulder, and the raft was set into motion.

"Thank you!" she called back, "It was nice to meet you, sir!"

"Nice meeting you too, kiddo!" He waved, "If yer in the neighborhood, you should stop by my shop! If yer lucky, you might get to hear another story of mine—sure helps pass the time, doesn't it? Wah-ha-ha!"

"Okay, I will!" she replied, hugging her knees to her chest. The raft wobbled, most likely caused by her movements, so Day did her best to remain calm.

In no time, she could spot the opposite shore. The raft drifted forward and, instead of the violent collision she'd anticipated, bounced lightly against the land.

Day awkwardly crawled to safety, nearly plummeting into the water, and lied across her back on the shore.

Her mind returned to Gerson's story… _seven human souls would be needed to destroy the barrier._ Toriel had mentioned humans leaving the ruins, and meeting rather… unpleasant fates. If humans were really so strong, why had they died?

And… what would happen to her?

"Hello there."

Day searched for the speaker, and found another clump of echo flowers. She was about to respond, but the words caught in her throat—

She hadn't said anything.

Who were they echoing?

"Hello there."

It sent a chill up her spine; Day jumped to her feet and quickly left the area. She thought she heard it speak again, in the same even voice, but didn't go back to check.

* * *

The next room seemed darker than all the others. There were few crystals poking out of the rock, and thus, little light was cast. Day continued to follow the boardwalk, the only sounds being the patter of her shoes and the gentle lapping of the water. It was peaceful…

… Maybe a little too peaceful.

Day scoffed at her suspicion; maybe instead, she should just _enjoy_ this change rather than question it. Who knows when she'd experience quiet like this again? It was better than running for her life, anyway.

The dock continued, and bends appeared in the path every so often: nothing drastic. If anything, it was a welcome change of pace from the plain straight and narrow path. Day moved along, mind wandering, paying little attention to her surroundings.

A low, almost inaudible hum joined the other monotone sounds, slipping in unnoticed. From behind a pillar, a dark figure stood ready, watching their target. The human continued to walk by, oblivious to the threat, so they tightened a fist around the glowing blue spear. There was nothing to hide them, this time—they were all _hers._

Something felt wrong. Day's pace slowed, and she glanced around cautiously. The cave opened up on one side, producing a sheltered nook in the rock face; someone could walk along it and follow the docks easily. Every few feet, a pillar supported the ceiling, and the light coloring made everything behind seem much darker by comparison.

Eventually, Day stopped completely, catching a glimpse of something blue behind a pillar. Then, she noticed the steady hum…

 _SHWING!_

A spear was suddenly driven into the wooden dock, only inches from her feet.

Day screamed and leapt back, terrified. The spear was glowing a familiar blue—

 _UNDYNE!_

Sure enough, her attacker emerged from the shadows of the cove, another spear raised in preparation.

 _Don't just stand there!_ she commanded herself, _Run!_

Day managed to snap out of her petrified state and broke into a sprint.

Two more spears were hurled after her; one fell short, and the other buried itself into the dock only inches to her left. On instinct, she flinched away, but the movement sent her off course—it allowed Undyne the opportunity to fling three spears, mere seconds apart.

The first missed, sinking into the water. The second plunged into the space Day had stood only a millisecond before, and the third cut her off as she tried to backtrack. Day was in a full-blown panic mode; logic couldn't work its way in, and she relied solely on instinct to carry her forward. She evaded a spear to continue sprinting, weaving along the winding dock.

Undyne easily kept up, and without any sign of tiring, launched spear after spear; unlike her usual calculating manner, she was depending far more on quantity than accuracy.

The spears hit their marks only inches behind Day's heels, giving her the motivation she needed not to look back.

Suddenly, there was a tug at her waist—it released shortly after.

Still running, Day glanced back briefly; her sweater had been snagged by a spear, and was lying in a heap on the dock.

Day halted completely, and paying no heed to the imminent danger, spun on her heels and dashed back to it. It was wedged into the wood by the tip of the spear, so Day took hold of the glowing blue handle, trying futilely to loosen its hold.

A barrage of spears zipped by her head, so Day ducked back, avoiding them by a hair's breadth. She was about to try for an escape again, but remembered her sweater. She would _not_ leave it behind for anything! On her knees, Day reached out to grab hold of a sleeve—

Her arm began to burn as if it was on fire, and it was forcefully thrown to one side, along with the rest of her. Day cried out in pain, clutching the area, and spotted only the hilt of a spear as it plopped into the water, target hit.

The skin flared up, scorching, stinging, and Day tried to catch a glimpse of the injury in the faint light.

Her hand was wet. A warm, oozing wet. The air smelled… rusty.

Her stomach lurched when she realized what was beginning to dribble down her arm. Day nearly fainted—she was alerted as a spear flew past her head. She couldn't just sit around, or there would be much more blood where that came from.

Using her unstained hand, Day snatched up her sweater, then leapt up to run again.

Her arm was screaming out for attention, fiery, and the warmness had begun to flow down past her elbow. The sensation made her gag, but there was little time for that, now.

The wooden dock ended, giving way to land, and to Day's relief, a tall patch of grass. She practically dove inside, keeping her head down, trying to find her way out with the limited visibility.

 _"No use running now, human!"_ Undyne roared, " _Come out and fight me properly!"_

Day froze involuntarily, shaking, and dropped to her knees. She fought the urge to breathe, made more difficult after the relentless running and heightened terror. The grass was rustling without her touching it—Undyne was coming.

 _Just calm down,_ she ordered herself forcefully, _Don't move, or she'll hear you. Don't move, don't breathe… just stay still…_

The rustling was coming closer, and every few seconds, she thought she glimpsed a flash of something metallic through the tight plants. The sound grew louder…

It stopped. Day stared up in horror—Undyne was standing. _Right. Next. To her._ And for the first time, from this deadly vantage point, Day got a good look at the monster trying to kill her.

She towered over the grass, dressed in a hulking suit of silver armor, topped with what seemed to be a crimson ponytail. Her slow, measured breaths were amplified by the helmet as it turned slowly to survey the area. It abruptly jerked forward, focused on a patch of grass; she'd found her.

Day sunk even lower to the ground, flat on her chest, trying to keep her trembling to a minimum. Her eyes were glued to Undyne.

A gloved, metal hand was raised into to air… and with a force capable of cracking skulls, Undyne brought it down like a hammer. Day clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry.

"Yo!"

Zeta was lifted into the air by her face, grinning widely.

"Yo!" she repeated, "Hi Undyne! I'm your biggest fan! You are _wicked_ , dude!"

Undyne stared at the small monster in her iron grasp, then slowly, set her back down in the grass.

"Sorry kid," she muttered shortly, and without pressing an interrogation, turned and left the grass behind.

Beside her, the grass was still rustling wildly.

"Oh my god," Zeta gasped, "Oh my god oh my god OH MY GOD! Undyne just TOUCHED ME!" She made a noise of unbridled joy, "I am never washing my face again!" Soon after, she too had run out of the grass, leaving Day alone.

Near hyperventilating, she struggled to sit up, arms weak and unsteady. The injury on her arm was even more painful than before, and her skin felt disgustingly sticky. Day repressed a gag, and clutching her sweater with a fist, maneuvered her way out of the grass.

She headed straight for the water beside the path, and after sitting, splashed it onto her bloodied arm. Most washed off easily, turning the previously clear water a pale pink, but the wound continued to bleed. Day tried again to clean the area, spotting the full extent of the cut for only a second before more blood collected.

It made her feel light-headed—Day turned her gaze away, determined to ignore it. In an attempt to hinder the flow, Day clasped her other hand around it, wincing from the additional sting it caused. Surely it would stop bleeding, in a few minutes.

Day held the sweater in the crook of her arm, and doing her best to ignore the pain, continued forward. Unbeknownst to her, Day no longer left a trail of water—the new substance was much darker.

* * *

 _ **Heh... so maybe it was a bit cruel to stop there... ;)**_

 _ **(See what I did in the title? Because... she was getting lectured by Gerson... like she would have at a school... and "school" as in... fish... like Undyne...)**_

 _ ***disappointed cricket noises***_

 _ **But seriously, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave any comments/critiques you have, if you'd like; I appreciate any and all feedback! Have a nice day! (And for those of you in the awful weather zones, stay determined! And warm!)**_


	14. Sing a Song of Shyren

**_Sorry this one is a little bit later than usual, it's been a long weekend. XP And this turned out to be a long chapter, but I'm pretty happy with it. I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

She squinted; this area was much brighter than all the rest. The path was bordered on one side by a wall, but on the other, the room opened up drastically—she couldn't see the back of the cave. There were several large bodies of water, all glowing vibrantly turquoise, sporting tall reeds and even more echo flowers.

Her arm continued to sting; Day tightened her grip around the cut, hoping to keep the blood from spilling over. She didn't dare look at it, feeling sick already—it would surely slow up, in a few minutes.

There was a small section of the wall that caved inwards, and Day caught a glint of something metallic. Initially she froze, remembering Undyne's armor. _How did she find me already?!_

Upon further examination, Day realized (with immense relief) that is wasn't a person at all: only a simple telescope. She approached curiously, wondering what a telescope (albeit an old, scuffed up one) was doing standing alone in the middle of Waterfall.

In the corner of the sunken in wall, something stirred, hidden by the shadows. Day leapt back again, still expecting Undyne to spring out and attack her.

The creature let out a low groan, continuing to shift, and a blue sleeve flopped over into the light—

"Sans?"

He didn't answer her, continuing to make quiet, wordless sounds. There was a noise like a snort… and Day realized he was snoring. Sans was fast asleep.

She smiled just a little; she'd better not tell on him to Papyrus.

Half his face was lit, and she made out several dark lines beneath his sockets, making her smile fade. He looked exhausted… so she decided not to bother him, and turned to leave without interrupting his nap.

"Wh—what the f—" He sat bolt upright, apparently hearing her; something blue flashed in one of his sockets, but faded as soon as he recognized her.

"… Oh. Hey, kid. How's it goin'?"

"Um… it's good…" Day tried not to draw attention to her arm, "Sorry, I was trying not to wake you up—"

"Eh, don't worry about it," He waved away her apology passively, "Shouldn'ta been sleeping on the job, anyway." Sans reclined comfortably, then rubbed his closed eyes, "So you having fun? Not dead yet, huh?"

"No…"

He seemed to notice her odd stance, "What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah?" It sounded suspicious, "Doesn't look like nothing."

She turned away, head down, "It's—it's not that bad, really—it's just a little—"

"A little what? What are you trying to hide?"

Day faced him guiltily, then removed her hand—the entire palm was drenched in red. It quickly streamed down her arm.

Sans was staring at it, "… Kid, I don't wanna question your judgement or anything, but… that doesn't seem all that _little._ "

"Sorry," she said quickly, covering it up again, "I didn't mean for it to happen—"

"Hey, hold up," he cut in, smiling slightly, "You don't have to be sorry about it. What happened?"

Day studied her shoes, "… Undyne."

Sans' momentary smile sank, "… Ah. She's, uh… kind of a _straight shooter_ , huh?"

She just nodded, unable to react properly to the pun. Her head was beginning to feel light and dizzy, so she stared at the ground, trying to keep her balance.

Sans was watching her reactions carefully, and he was not reassured.

"… Alright, c'mon kid." He unwillingly rose to his feet, "Can't have you bleeding all over the underground. Not good for our image." Sans gestured towards the lake near the path, "Let's clean you up: make you somewhat presentable."

Day followed inertly, and he stood on the shore beside her.

"Watch this," he said, and nudged a pebble into the water. It fell in with a "plunk," and small ripples spread. A colorful shape, blurred by the water, swam up to the shore and curiously broke the surface.

It was a bright green turtle, sporting a navy blue shell topped with an odd, transparent container, where a tiny yellow bird floated contently.

The monster blinked at them with round, shining eyes, and seeming to recognize Sans, beamed warmly.

"Hi!" it squeaked.

"Hey Bubbles," he replied, "I got a job for ya."

She perked up, "Wosh?"

"That's right." He nodded towards Day, "This one here."

The turtle took one look at her and gasped, "GAH! Dirty! Bad dirty! YUCK!"

Sans was beginning to put several feet between him and Day, "Sure is. Nothing you can't fix though, right?"

Her head bobbed up and down with excitement, "Wosh! Wosh!" Without explanation, she dove beneath the surface once more.

Suddenly, water was blasted forth in a steady stream, hitting Day directly. She threw up hands to shield her face, to little avail.

"Hey!" Her voice was nearly drowned out, "Wait! Stop!"

The stream puttered down into a trickle, then ceased entirely. Day stared down at herself—she was now completely and utterly drenched.

Sans was snickering, comfortably _bone dry._

The turtle popped up attentively, "Ha! Clean now! I do good wosh!"

"You sure did, Squirt," he agreed, grinning widely, "Thanks."

She made a gleeful squeak, then disappeared into the lake, swimming away.

"I think she said you're _squeaky clean_ ," Sans joked, "Feel better?"

"… Um…" Day wrung out her t-shirt, "Sort of…"

"You look like you're soaked… _to the bone."_

Day smiled a little this time, "Yes."

"Alright, enough messing around," he gave in, "How 'bout you let me see your arm? I could try to fix it some… probably won't do that great a job, but… eh, won't hurt to try." He paused, "Unless it does hurt. Might, since you're human. I've got no clue, actually."

She wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but trusted him anyway, and held out her injured arm.

Sans suspended a hand over the cut, staring at it with steely concentration. A blue light began to glow in his socket, and the same sort of glow was emitting from his hand. A warm sensation spread across her skin, pinching around the cut, but she didn't move away.

Eventually, Sans let out a breath and let his hand drop, "There. It's not bleeding now, anyway." The blue vanished from his socket, and he seemed to slump, arm dangling limp at his side, "Sorry I couldn't fix it all."

Day examined what was left of the wound: there was a long, thin scab across the cut, which almost encircled her upper arm. Whatever Sans had done was somehow able to speed up the healing process, because the cut was incredibly narrow, and had already begun to fade back to her normal skin tone.

"Wow…" She was in amazement, "How did you do that?"

"Magic. Duh."

"I know that," she commented, "But I mean how, exactly?"

He shrugged, "Magic, exactly. It's kinda hard to explain."

"Hm… well, thank you."

"Eh, don't mention it," he replied lowly, "It's not all that impressive…"

"Yes it is!" Day argued, sounding incredulous, "I can't do anything like that!"

"Well, you're not a monster. If you were, I guarantee you wouldda done a much better job than that."

She was alerted by his dark tone, so Day smiled reassuringly, "Sans, you did a good job. It doesn't even hurt anymore! So thank you."

He scoffed, but it was accompanied by a smile, "Alright, alright. No need to get sappy on me, jeez…"

Day was glad to see him in a better mood, "So how did you do that with magic? How does it work?"

"Eh…" Sans pocketed his hands, "Best I understand, with healing anyway, it's just replacement. Getting hurt is a deficiency of health—"

"De-fish-what?"

"A lack of health." He smirked, "That would've been a good pun, though. I'll have to remember that one."

"Oh. Okay."

"So when someone is lacking health, you give 'em your own magic to replace it. That's why I figured it wouldn't work on humans, but I guess it does. Heck if I know how." He shrugged cluelessly, "Probably why I couldn't heal it all the way. Stronger monster couldda, I bet; Pap's a lot better at healing than I am. Don't have a lot of magic to give as is, lazing around all the time. Doesn't work as well when you're tired, either…"

Day realized that by healing her, she'd taken away some of his energy, and she frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized, "I didn't know that's what happened! I wouldn't have asked you to—"

"Yeah I know," he interrupted, smirking, "That's why I didn't say something about it, earlier."

She continued to frown, "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Sans just waved it away, "Don't worry, magic replaces lost magic pretty quick. It's no problem."

"… Okay." He didn't continue the topic, so feeling awkward, Day pointed back towards the telescope, "Is that yours?"

"Oh yeah…" His smile widened, almost mischievously, "Sure is. Thinking about getting into the telescope business."

"Really?"

"Yep." He walked over and set a hand on the body of it, "Y'know, it's normally 5,000 gold to use this "premium" telescope here—" He had said "premium" with heavy sarcasm, "But since I know you… I guess I could let you use it for free, just this once. Howzaboutit?"

Day wondered what she would be able to see with a telescope, being underground, but accepted the offer. She reached out to touch it, but retracted her hands shortly after.

"Um… how do I…?"

"What, never used a telescope before?"

"No, sorry."

He pointed to the smaller end of the device, "All you do is look through that. Got it?"

"Okay." She followed his instructions and peered through the eyepiece, but all she could see was pink.

She glanced back at Sans, "Did I do something wrong?"

He was snickering, "What do you mean?"

"It's just pink."

"Really? You sure about that?"

Day checked a second time, "Yes."

Sans was trying to contain his laughter, "Huh… that's weird. Well, don't worry about it; I'll give you a full refund."

She gave him a funny look, "But I didn't pay anything."

"Exactly."

 _Oh, I get it._ Day laughed.

Sans was laughing too, though she wasn't sure why.

"Well, guess you'd better get going," Sans advised in between snickers, "Don't want Undyne catching up with you, right?"

Day's smile suddenly vanished, remembering the threat; a hand involuntarily flew up to her arm, shielding the cut.

"Whoops." He realized the mistake, "Hey, don't worry about it; I said I'd keep an eye-socket out for you, didn't I? You'll be fine."

"Okay…"

"There, that's the _spear_ -it."

And now the reassuring comment was ruined.

"Good luck, kid," he said, still snickering slightly, "Let me know if you _spot something_ … heheh… Don't go out and _paint_ the town or anything…"

She didn't understand what he was referring to, but smiled politely anyway.

"Okay." Day continued to follow the path, "Bye Sans."

" _See_ you later, kid."

After walking only a few feet, Day noticed that one of her eyes was beginning to itch, so she rubbed it; her fingers came away a glittery pink.

"What?" Day repeated the action, removing more of the pink paint. How had _that_ gotten there? She hadn't even touched the area until—

The telescope.

"Sans!" She spun around to confront him, but he had vanished. What a coincidence.

* * *

As Day followed the path, winding through the shallow pools on either side, her phone rang. This time, she wasn't surprised to hear Papyrus' voice on the other end.

"Hello Day! It is I, Papyrus!"

"Hi Papyrus."

"Hi! How are you doing?"

"Good." She decided not to mention the encounter with Undyne, "How are you?"

"I am great, as the Great Papyrus always is! Nyeheheh! Anyway, I am calling because I have something very important to inform you about!"

"Really? What is it?"

"Do you remember when I asked you about what you were wearing?"

"Yes…?"

"Well… the friend who wanted to know who asked me to ask, her opinion of you is very… murdery."

Any determination she'd managed to muster was thoroughly bashed, "Wh-what?!"

"But don't worry, dear human! The Great Papyrus would never betray you; I am _not_ a cruel person! In fact, I strive to be just the opposite: to be comforting and pleasant!"

Day grinned, "Yeah."

"I am glad you agree! And so, because of my inherent goodness, I decided to tell her that you were not wearing a pink and purple sweater, even though you told me you were!"

"Oh?"

"Instead, I told her that you were wearing an old white t-shirt with a red heart on it!"

"… Oh."

"Yes… it pained me to tell such a bold-faced lie. I know you would never wear a white t-shirt with a red heart on it! But your safety is more important than fashion!"

At least now she knew how Undyne had recognized her so quickly. But Papyrus' gloomy tone made it impossible to be upset with him, so Day quietly replied, "Thank you, Papyrus. I'm sorry I made you lie."

"Oh, it's okay!" he assured, "Don't be upset! I didn't mean to make you upset! It's just… well, it seems very hard to be friends with everyone! But that's no problem—the Great Papyrus will accomplish this momentous feat, and soon, I will have more friends than I can count!"

Day grinned; she didn't doubt it.

"By the way, have you seen my brother Sans anywhere? I haven't seen him since this morning, and I do _not_ want to have to go into Grillby's to check!"

"Yeah, I saw him a few minutes ago."

"You did? In Waterfall? What was he doing there?"

"Um…" _Don't say sleeping, don't say sleeping,_ "He was… he had a telescope and—"

"Oh that makes sense! Sans loves all sorts of sciency stuff—that must be the telescope he made himself! He's even got his own laboratory in the basement; always down there when he's supposed to be sleeping instead, working on that giant machine—"

Day was blinking in confusion.

"… Why are you so quiet now? Did he not tell you all that already?"

"No…?"

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense—Sans never tells anybody anything."

There was a brief pause.

"Well, if you see him again, can you please tell him to come home? Recalibrating puzzles isn't nearly as fun without his help! Er... maybe not "help," but… just him being there, anyway!"

"Okay, I will."

"Thank you! Good luck, Day! If I see Undyne, I will again try to convince her not to take your soul!"

"Um… thank you."

"No problem!" He hung up without saying goodbye.

Day didn't put away her phone immediately… Toriel's number was there on the screen. Her finger hovered over the button, wondering if she should do it. She probably wouldn't answer… and even if she did, what could she say?

… Day decided not to be a bother. She pocketed her phone stiffly.

The room narrowed into a corridor, and Day squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. The stone path cut a large body of water straight down the center, disappearing into the wall on the other side.

Day strolled along, not thinking much of it. It was quiet; the water was perfectly still, the surface like glass. But it was murky—she couldn't see to the bottom.

There was a splash. She stopped dead in her tracks, and saw a circle of ripples forming, seemingly without a source.

Day almost called out, but her thoughts immediately turned to Undyne. She needed to get out of the room as soon as possible.

Not quite running, Day hurried along the path, eyes set on the exit.

She heard another distinct splash, followed by a "thwoop," as if something was drawn back into the water. Two more ripples had appeared, and it looked like they were closer than before.

Instead of turning her back on the threat, Day watched closely, waiting.

A yellow tentacle had snaked out of the water at a menacing pace—it was only feet away from her.

Day yelped, no longer caring to be curious; she dashed for the exit, whimpering all the way. _First Undyne, now a giant yellow sea monster! I think I like Snowdin better!_

When the girl had escaped earshot, Onionsan emerged fully from the water, beaming in expectation.

"Hi there! How are—"

She stopped abruptly.

"Hello? Anyone there?"

There was no reply.

"… That's funny." She rubbed her head thoughtfully with a tentacle, "I was pretty sure I heard someone here! I… guess not…" Onionsan began to sink back into the water, "Well… then I guess I'll just… go back here then… alone… again… yaaaaaaay…" She disappeared, and after a few disappointed bubbles, the surface stilled again.

* * *

A huge pit sat in the center of the next room, and water trickled from a crack in the ceiling to form a gentle waterfall leading into it.

Day stood a safe distance from the edge, peering down cautiously. She couldn't make out the bottom.

 _How much deeper could it be?_

Day backed away, not quite wanting an answer, and surveyed the new room. Straight ahead, it continued deeper into the cave, but there was an opening in the wall beside her, leading into an area off the path. Of course, she knew what she really _should've_ been doing: getting to the barrier, getting home. But… there was no hurry. She might as well explore a little.

She ventured inside the room, and spotted the absolute last thing she expected to find underground: a piano.

… Yeah. That was definitely a piano.

Day approached slowly, half expecting it to be some sort of mirage. She touched a key; it played faintly.

Day was no stranger to this sort of instrument: she remembered the giant, ancient pipe organ in the chancel that no one was allowed to touch except for Mr. Williams, the "master organist," as he instructed the kids to call him. Many Sundays after service, Mr. Williams allowed her to join him on the stiff wooden bench as he played, her fingers gliding across keys in a patternless series.

Despite his age, the movements were always fluid and intentional, and his music reflected that. The low notes reverberated in her bones, the highs made her breath rise, liberated. They came in unexpected onslaughts, and before you could take the time to analyze a stanza, the next had begun, leaving you unfulfilled, yet craving more.

But of course, Day couldn't begin to put it into words: music was an experience, not something to explain.

She climbed atop the bench, finding it coated in a thin layer of dust. The keys also showed their wear, tinged an aged yellow, also bearing dust. Day blew at it, then dragged her sweater sleeve across them for good measure.

Day sat idle for a moment, just admiring the instrument.

Mr. Williams had given her lessons every Tuesday for the last three years, using the out of tune piano behind the dining hall; despite her devotion, she came no closer to matching his talent. Nevertheless, after every lesson without fail, he told her the same thing: "One day, Day, you're gonna be miles ahead of me, so you keep on practicing."

As much as she wanted to, she never took the mantra seriously.

Day reached up, positioning her hands appropriately. Her thumb struck a key… and the rest began to flow forth steadily.

It was a simple hymn, the first she was taught. It was practically second nature by now, and she tapped out the melody without effort, gently nodding along with the song. She was too short to reach the petals at the bottom, but it only made a small difference, in regards to quality.

When the song was over, she rested her hands against the keys; the last few notes echoed in the stone room, drifting into the rest of the cave. What if she wasn't supposed to be there? Day tried not to worry; no one had come to quiet her, so she apparently wasn't causing too much of a ruckus. She doubted anyone could hear her, even with the echo.

… No one could hear her.

Day focused on the piano, knowing precisely what she wanted to do. She hit the first key, then hummed to match the note. It sounded more or less in tune.

Again, Day glanced over her shoulder, ensuring she was truly alone. Still, no one appeared.

Day pressed the next key, hummed. She restarted the song, playing a brief instrumental prelude, and quietly began to sing.

The sisters didn't like Mr. Williams teaching her songs that weren't hymns, but he was spectacular at finding loopholes. She played an older, mellow tune that had become one of her favorites. She didn't sing in front of Mr. Williams, or anyone else for that matter—only when she was alone. So when she'd finished the first chorus and heard a low humming behind her, Day froze with a gasp, no longer playing.

There was a shuffle, and it retreated from the entryway. Day only caught a glimpse of something pale and green slinking out of sight.

"H-hello?" She was trembling, mostly out of embarrassment, "S-sorry, I didn't—I didn't know if I was allowed to be in here or not, but I just saw the piano and—"

An odd looking monster poked its head into the frame. It looked to be a large fish, with light blue bangs covering half her face. Her eyes were droopy, and only seconds after appearing, she backed up again.

Day realized that it was probably more afraid of her than she it, and decided to call out, "Hey wait—you don't have to run away! It's okay!"

She peered in, edging a few inches closer. Her body was long and snake-like, covered in green scales. Like a mermaid, only a lot more… fishy.

"Uh… hi," she greeted, "What's your name?"

"Shyyyyy… ren…" Her voice was quiet and musical, and she seemed to sink into herself shyly, much like her name would suggest.

"Hello Shyren," Day said in a friendly way, not wanting her to be wary, "Was that you humming?"

Shyren's head bowed meekly, "Yeeeeeees…"

"You sounded nice." Day played a note, to help put her at ease, "Do you want me to keep playing, so you can sing some more?"

"Pleeeeeeease…"

"Okay." Day returned her attention to the piano, and finding her place again, replayed the chorus. She didn't sing along, this time.

Shyren listened for a moment, then hummed along with the song, harmonizing. It was almost hypnotic; Day too became more comfortable, and in time, went back to singing. Gradually, both grew louder; Shyren added elaborate flourishes to her humming, now beside the piano.

 _This isn't so bad,_ Day realized, actually enjoying their mini concert. She was beaming, and after a cautionary glance, Shyren was too.

The song came to an end with a final series of "ooooh"s from Shyren, and she became quiet, seeming at ease.

Day was about to compliment her, but was interrupted by a thunderous sound—applause. Both spun around with a flinch, caught off guard.

A rush of monsters flooded into the room, chattering with excitement.

"Oh my GOSH Shyren! I haven't heard you sing in forever!"

"You were so great!"

At first, Shyren shrunk away from their approach, but was swarmed on both sides by monsters, continuing to voice their opinions.

"Shyren, that was so beautiful!"

"Yeah, beautiful!"

"Yo, you totally need to be famous! That was awesome!"

She bowed her head modestly, flattered by their praise. Shyren's new fans led her out in a mob, still piling her with a barrage of compliments.

Sans stood patiently outside the doorway, waiting for the monsters to pass. As soon as they'd cleared the way, he entered the room, only to find it empty.

 _Where the heck did the kid run off to, this time?_ he wondered. She hadn't left with those other monsters…

"Hey," he called out, "Day? Where you hiding?"

There was no answer.

Sans stuffed his hands into pockets, walking over to examine the piano. He noticed that it didn't quite touch the back of the wall; there was at least a foot's width of space in between the two. He had a good guess where she might have vanished to.

He leaned over to check—and immediately grinned, "Hey kid."

Day had pulled the sweater over her head and knees, legs folded close to her chest. Only a tuft of hair poked out the top. She didn't acknowledge him.

Sans scoffed, "What's up? You having a bad time?"

Her sweater jostled; she was nodding.

"Why? Sounded like you were having fun here with Shyren—this old piano here is _music_ to my ears… the ears I don't have. Skeleton, y'know."

Day still didn't reply.

His grin slowly sank into something less teasing, "Something wrong?"

She made a low sound, almost a whine of confirmation.

Sans knelt beside the gap, "Kid, you gotta use words if you want any chance of making sense."

Day made the sound again, hugging her knees closer.

He just sighed, "Maybe you oughtta come out."

Day didn't move

"There might be spiders back there, you know."

That did it. Day shot up and blindly bolted from behind the piano, nearly plowing into Sans; he backed up, avoiding impact.

Day yanked the neck of the sweater down past her face, cheeks flushed a dark red. Her eyes swam with the beginnings of tears, so she rubbed them away quickly—she wasn't about to let Sans see her crying again.

"What's up with you?"

Day just shook her head, trying to avoid conversation.

"Oh, so you're whipping out the silent treatment again, huh?" Sans accepted this as a challenge, "What, did you just use up your word allotment singing?"

Day pulled the sweater back over her head in embarrassment.

Sans cackled, "Well, guess you'd _sweater_ be more careful next time, if you don't wanna get caught."

She made the pitiful sound again.

He decided to let up, for now, "Hey, kid. You really should say something—help me out here. What's bothering you?"

She was silent.

"Back to this stage again, huh?" He sighed, "… Hey." Sans tapped her shoulder, "Hey, kid?"

Day obediently pulled down the sweater, but didn't make eye contact.

"I think I saw Kev setting up shop a little ways from here," he told her, "Wanna come with? I'm buying."

She wrung her sleeves, still red in the face.

Sans nudged her, "Hey now, let up with the _cold_ shoulder, Little Miss Sunshine. Come on. You're gonna make Kev's _day_ , when he sees you again."

Day considered it, then nodded without speaking and followed him.

* * *

It took some convincing in the form of nice cream, but soon, Day had begun to smile again.

"—I swear, those two need to stop settling for flirting and just ask the other out," Sans continued, in lecture mode, "You saw the way that hothead acted when I mentioned her, didn't you? Grillby, come on man; I'm not sure he has eyes, but even he's gotta be able to see it."

Day giggled, nursing a strawberry nice cream cone. Sans had a yellow popsicle, but was disregarding it in favor of the conversation at hand.

"Course, every time I try to bring her up, he gets all _inflamed_ about it. Heck, he set _me_ on fire this one time—can't say I didn't earn it."

She laughed, but made sure not to agree or disagree.

They were sitting on the bank of a pool, a safe distance from whatever could be lurking in the water.

Sans reclined lazily, "You seen Undyne again?"

"No."

"Guess that's a good thing. Don't want her, uh… _gutting you like a fish,_ right?"

Day shuddered, "Ew. No."

He chuckled, "Yeah. Don't think too badly of her—she's just doing her job, what she think's right. Can't fault her too much for that."

 _Right?_ Gutting her like a fish was the right thing to do? Something about that certainly didn't _sound_ right.

"I guess not," she agreed, not quite enthusiastically.

"Alright, so you know what I gotta bring up," Sans began, focusing his attention on her, "You and Shy."

Day blushed, unwilling to return to the topic, "Um…"

"You got her to come up to you, huh?"

"Yes."

"How'd you manage that?"

She shrugged slightly, "I don't know… I just saw the piano there and played a little…"

"And she showed up?"

"Yes."

"So you two had a little duet, I heard."

"You h-heard?"

"Sure did."

"H-how much did you h-hear?"

"Just, y'know… all of it."

Day covered her face in embarrassment, starting to go red again.

Sans was snickering, "Don't worry—didn't sound half bad. Figured I'd take advantage of the situation, and started selling tickets to monsters who came poking around. Got to about forty when—"

She groaned, becoming more and more upset.

"What? You two were all set to have a full house by the time you were done. Who doesn't want a bunch of fans?"

"Me."

He chuckled, "Oh? Pap would probably disagree with you on that one… why not?"

"I don't like people listening."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not very good at it."

"Sure you are."

"No."

"Well you sang with Shy, didn't you?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"She was scared too."

"So?"

"So I wanted her not to be scared, so I sang with her."

Sans chuckled again, "Huh. That was nice of you."

"… Mm."

"Come on. You did good, kid."

Day didn't answer. She was no longer looking at him, so Sans decided to take drastic measures.

"Alright, you made me do this," he warned, smirking. An arm shot out, wrapping around her shoulders, and he began to aggressively ruffle her hair.

Day squirmed to escape, "Hey! Stop it!"

"Nah, don't think I will," he replied simply, "I'll give you a _heads up_ if I change my mind."

She continued to fight back, smothered by his sleeve, "Sans!"

"Can't hear you, kid."

Eventually, she was able to slip out of his grasp, grinning, and brushed the hair out of her face.

"What, no retaliation?" he asked, "Not even a slap on the hand?"

Day giggled, "No, I won't."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-hm."

"Well alright then… guess I won't learn my lesson, this time."

She laughed, sitting beside him again, and remembered what she was supposed to tell him, "Oh, Papyrus called me."

Sans looked surprised, "He did?"

"Yes. He wanted to know if I'd seen you."

"What'd you tell him?"

"I said you were by the telescope."

"Didn't say I was sleeping, did you?"

"No."

He smiled gratefully, "Thanks, kid. He probably knew better, anyway, but uh… thought that counts, right?"

Day recalled something else, "He said you made that telescope?"

His grin wavered, "Oh… yeah, I did."

"That's really cool."

He shrugged, "Eh, it's a beat up hunk of junk, now. Made it a few years ago." Sans scoffed darkly, "A lotta good it'll do me underground, right? Probably shouldda thought that through, better."

"… Maybe just a little bit."

Sans didn't speak again, leaving Day to further the conversation.

"You like… science and space stuff?"

"The former basically encompasses the latter—but yeah. It's a hobby. Haven't been doing too much of it lately… you know you're lazy when you start slacking on stuff you actually enjoy, right?"

There was something dark that had slipped into his voice, and it caught Day off guard.

"Sans?" She sounded concerned, "Are you okay?"

"What?" He glanced down—half the popsicle had melted, "Whoa I was _not_ paying attention to that." Sans wiped the residue off on his shirt, "Just so you know, you're getting a lot closer to the end of Waterfall. Just keep walking, and you'll make it out of here in no time."

"Okay," she replied, distracted. His voice was normal again. Maybe she'd only thought she heard something different about it.

Sans stood, "Well, guess I'd better get back to work—might actually go and think about doing my job, this time." He ruffled her hair again, "You stay outta trouble, alright? Don't wanna have to go in and bail you out of some spat with Undyne—she'll uh, _take your breath away_. Along with other vital parts of your body."

"O-okay."

"See you round, kid." He winked then left, heading back from where she had initially come.

Day noticed an abandoned wrapper where he'd previously sat. He must've forgotten it. She picked it up curiously to read the printed message:

"Have a nice day!"

She was now convinced he'd left there on purpose.

Day pocketed it, along with her own, which read "Love yourself—I love you!" That hadn't failed to draw out a smile. Finished with her nice cream, she decided it was time to move on, so she followed the path in the opposite direction of Sans.

… She was glad he'd found her, again.

* * *

A water droplet plopped directly onto her nose, so Day glanced upwards.

Water collected around several small stalactites, dripping down like rain and forming shallow puddles on the path below.

Day removed the sweater from her waist, holding it over her head to block the "rain," and continued forward.

She passed a large stone statue of what seemed to be a horned monster, slumped over glumly. Water trickled down its weather-beaten surface; its features were worn from constant exposure to the elements, so all she could make out were a few basic shapes.

She actually felt sympathy for the lonely statue, but there wasn't much she could do to aid it, so Day unwillingly left it behind.

A few feet later, she found a rusted metal bin, containing several umbrellas. The sign next to it read "Please take one!"

Thankful, Day complied; she withdrew a magenta parasol with white polka-dots, and opened it above her head. The rain pattered against the surface almost musically.

She was about to continue on, but had a sudden thought. Day dug around in the bin, took a second parasol, and returned to the forlorn statue. Setting aside her own umbrella for a moment, she opened the other: a green one with small yellow flowers. She propped it up against the side of the statue, shielding it from the rain.

The very moment she did, something began to click and whir from within the stone. Day took a half-step back, unsure what she had caused.

There was a series of tinkling, like the teeth of a music box, and a faint melody played.

Day stood, mesmerized, and picked up her umbrella. It was a sorrowful sound, but at the same time, not without a cheerful tinge. She kept moving, humming the song to herself as she went.

Water continued to plunk against the parasol's surface, a relaxing sound, and she skipped along, at ease.

But slowly… Day lost the spring in her step. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like… she was being watched. Every so often, she stopped to check behind her, but saw no one; the feeling lingered, so she picked up the pace.

Eventually, it became unbearable—there had to be something there. Day didn't stop this time, and without warning, spun around quickly.

Only a few feet away, something stood silently, staring. Day was too shocked to scream.

It looked to be melting, narrow at the top, a misshapen blob near the bottom. It was inky black, except for a pale, plain head that resembled a bare skull. The empty sockets bore pin-pricked white pupils, and dark lines, like cracks, ran from the sockets down its head. It continued to stare.

Day was horrified. The umbrella shook, her hands wrapped tightly around the handle. She couldn't take her eyes off it, afraid what would happen should she let down her guard.

It didn't speak. It sat, still, studying her.

Day tried to calm herself, taking deep breaths, but refused to turn her back on it.

Then, slowly, he moved forward.

"N-no," she stammered, backing up fearfully, "Pl-please don't—"

He halted. Something about his face looked... hurt. He began to retreat, still watching her.

Day couldn't bear his expression, "W-wait—hold on. You don't have to… I'm sorry. You don't have to run away."

His movements slowed, and he waited where he was, not approaching her again.

In light of the rain, Day held out her umbrella with a trembling hand, "H-here, you can… have this, if you want."

An odd white hand, not connected by any sort of arm, emerged from the black body and gravitated towards the umbrella—then phased right through.

Day blinked, thinking her eyes had deceived her. His expression seemed to say otherwise; he held out a hand, and the drops of water fell through without slowing.

"Oh." She tried to hide the fact that she was staring at his hand: there was a large hole in the center of his palm. "S-sorry."

He simply nodded. Glancing down at the puddles, Day made the unsettling realization that he had no reflection. She was so confused.

"Um…" she stared up at him meekly, "Who… if you don't mind me asking, I mean… who are you?"

The monster's mouth moved in speech, but there was no sound. He frowned, but didn't seem surprised.

"What's wrong?" Day asked.

Another hand appeared, and he made a few motions: he dragged a finger across another in a sort of "tsk tsk" manner, then holding out four fingers, tapped them to his chin.

Day's face lit up in realization, "Oh!" She discarded the umbrella, freeing her hands, and proceeded to sign in a similar manner, pointing at him, then rotating two fingers in a pedaling motion.

His eyes widened, and he signed again, forming the phrase "You-know-sign-how?"

"Oh, every year at Christmas, we have the same older man come in for the evening mass, but he's deaf, so he can't hear what's being said—so one of the sisters taught us how to use sign language, so we can talk to him." Day realized she was rambling, so she quieted shyly, "Um… so, what's your name?"

He hesitated, a bit taken aback by her sudden outburst, but slowly began to spell out "G-A-S-T-E-R."

"Gaster?" she checked, and he nodded, "Okay. Hello Mister Gaster, I'm Day. Um… why can't you… touch anything?"

Gaster seemed to sigh, and with his hand in a "Y," moved it from one cheek to the other: it translated to "accident."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Gaster signed again, "You-H-U-M-A-N?" He had to spell out the last word.

"Yes, I am."

"How-you-here?"

"There was a hole in the top of the mountain, but I didn't see it, and I fell." Day rubbed the bandages on her hand thoughtfully, "And… now I'm here."

Gaster nodded in an understanding manner, and signed "Castle-you-go?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "To the barrier."

He nodded again, solemnly, "Under-ground-danger. No-get-lost."

"I'll try not to," she assured.

"Good-luck."

"Thank you," Day told him.

Gaster glanced up at her, suddenly looking serious. He signed hastily, "You-do-(there was a word she didn't recognize)-me?"

Day cocked her head to the side, "Um… sorry, I don't… what was that word?"

"F-A-V-O-R."

"Oh, sure," she agreed, "What do you need me to do?"

His next phrase confused her: "Ask-left-right-hand-boy-why-you-B-L-U-E?"

"What is this?" She repeated the "left-right-hand-boy" signs.

Gaster's hands withdrew momentarily, then with deliberation, spelled out the name "S-A-N-S."

"You know Sans?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded, eyes on the ground; he was rubbing the hole in one of his hands, lost in thought.

Day decided not to pry further, "Okay, I'll talk to Sans."

"Thank-you. Stay-D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-E-D."

"I will." She picked up the parasol, holding the handle to her chest, "Goodbye, Mister Gaster. It was nice to meet you."

His features seemed to soften, a minuscule change, and he signed "Goodbye-Day." He accompanied it with a subtle wave, using only his fingers.

She waved back, smiling, and turned to walk away. As an afterthought, Day turned to say something else—

Gaster was gone.

Day checked the area, but found no trace of him.

 _... Huh._

Still a bit confused, she continued to follow the path.

It was funny, Gaster mentioning Sans—they even looked similar, with their bone-like features, the black eyes with white lights inside…

 _I wonder how they know each other?_

* * *

 ** _Man, that was long. And I'd be lying if I said that last scene wasn't my favorite. Controversy and theories, huzzah! ;)_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any comments or criticisms you may have; I appreciate feedback of any sort. Enjoy the rest of your day!_**


	15. Terror and Temmie-ing

_**This one took a while. Sorry. Also, lemme apologize first off: other than an Undyne encounter, this one is a little bit slow. It's a necessary bridge to the main Undyne throw down, coming up next time... until then... the moment some of you have been waiting for. And I have been dreading. Dreading very much. It's "tem" to do this.**_

 _ **... Try to enjoy. XP**_

 _ **(Also, I think there's a teensy bit of language somewhere in here... just a warning, if anyone is worried about that. Sans and his foul mouth, right?)**_

* * *

"Yo!" Zeta dashed over the minute she spotted Day, "You got an umbrella? Awesome! I would've, but uh…" She displayed the sleeveless sweater, "You know."

Day nodded, holding out the umbrella to shield the both of them. Zeta scurried underneath, shaking off the rain (Day was still soaked from her "woshing" and didn't mind the additional water).

"Okay, let's go!"

They two continued forward, Zeta splashing in every puddle they passed.

"Man," Zeta commented, "Undyne is _so_ cool. She beats up all the bad guys and never loses! She's the best!"

Day only nodded.

"You know, if I was a human, I'd probably wet the bed every night knowing she was gonna beat me up!" She laughed, "Good thing we're not!"

"But I'm—" Day stifled the remark at the last second, then quietly agreed, "Yeah… good thing we're not."

Zeta didn't seem to notice her and kept talking, launching into a story, "So this one time, we got assigned a school project where we had to take care of a flower. The king—we had to call him "Mr. Dreemurr"—volunteered to donate his own flowers. Instead of just that, he ended up actually coming down to school and teaching us about responsibility and stuff."

"Wow," she replied. Why had Toriel spoken of King Asgore so harshly? All the other monsters she'd met seemed to have nothing but great things to say about him… maybe Toriel was wrong?

"And what he said got me thinking…" Zeta grinned, gap-toothed, "Yo! How cool would it be if Undyne came to school? She could beat up all the teachers!"

Day tried to smile, but it was forced; the idea of beating up anyone didn't much appeal to her.

Zeta also seemed to be having second thoughts, "Uh, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers. She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person."

Day rubbed her arm, "…Yeah."

Gradually, the narrow hallway opened up—for a moment, Day almost believed she'd found her way out of the mountain. She could see no end to the cavern on any side; above, the blue crystals illuminated the ceiling, almost like stars in the night sky.

An enormous structure loomed in the distance, and Day admired it in silent awe…

"Oh yeah," Zeta interrupted her contemplation, "That's the king's castle! Cool, right?"

"Yeah, it is…"

They moved on, and the "rain" ceased, so Day closed the parasol and carried it beneath an arm. Another metal bin sat on the side of the path, this one empty, and Day returned the borrowed umbrella. And then, just as soon as it had appeared, the path abruptly ended: a tall ledge blocked the way.

Zeta was craning her neck to peer at the top, "Yo, that's way too steep." She faced Day, "Yo, you wanna see Undyne, right? I got an idea—climb up on my back!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, sure! Don't worry about me; I always find a way to get through!" She skipped over to stand against the wall, "Well, come on! No time to lose!"

"Okay…" Day approached hesitantly, "Um… how should I…?"

"It'll work like this," Zeta explained, "I'll bend down, you climb onto my shoulders, I'll stand up, and then you can grab the ledge! It's gotta work!"

Day was still wary; she didn't want to hurt Zeta, but complied with the plan. She managed to mount Zeta piggy-back style, and using the wall for support, stood on the monster's shoulders.

"Alright," Zeta alerted, "I'm gonna stand, so don't fall off!" She straightened up with a noise of effort, and Day hurriedly clasped the ledge.

"Are you okay?" she called down, trying to get a decent hold.

"Yeah! Hurry up though, you're kinda heavy!"

Day maneuvered both arms up, then after some flailing, heaved up a leg along with them. She rolled onto the ledge, resting for only a moment before sliding over to glance down at Zeta again, "Are you still okay?"

She was grinning widely, the toothy gap displayed proudly, "Yep! See, I told you it would work! Now go meet Undyne already! I'll see you around!"

Day waved, "Thank you!"

Zeta ran off, teetering from side to side a bit.

Well… she was alone, again. And despite Zeta's enthusiasm, still, Day did _not_ want to encounter Undyne anytime soon. _I'll probably lose my whole arm, if I see her again!_

The path shifted from stone to wooden panels, not suspended above water but rather nothingness. It was more intimidating that way. Day took a second look and realized there was another set of pathways below, hidden by the shadows.

Again, the eerie silence unnerved her. Day took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and walked with her eyes set devoutly forward.

And then, there was a low hum. Day froze, heart leaping into her throat.

 _No! Not again! Not now!"_

In front of her, the boardwalk began to glow a bright blue. The space beside her absorbed the same glow, surrounding her on all sides. Day remained rooted to the spot at first, but when it persisted, made a move to step over the brightly lit areas—

Spears shot up from the glowing spots, and she retracted her foot with a yelp. From below, there was a growl of frustration; Undyne was on the lower path. And she was _mad._

In front of her, the spears dissolved, so Day hastily made her escape. This time, she was determined not to let up for anything—she ran, refusing to look back.

The path suddenly turned blue, but she noticed far too late to stop. Day leapt over, and the spears shot up behind her, narrowly missing their target. The pattern repeated several times in a matter of seconds, and each time, Day evaded certain death by mere inches.

She was nearly hyperventilating from terror and effort—she was going to get gutted like a fish, just like Sans had said! How was she supposed to get away from Undyne now?! The attacks showed no sign of ending, and neither did the boardwalk.

"Would you just stay still?!" Undyne spat from below, "Stop making this so difficult!"

By force of habit, Day halted at the command of the harsh tone, but forced herself into motion again—she could _not_ stop. If she stopped, she died.

The boardwalk, once winding and branching into multiple pathways, narrowed into a single strip. Spears were centered directly in front of her, then behind her in a ruthless barrage. Day came close to grazing her arm on a spear tip until she whipped it away protectively.

It seemed the end was in sight—Day pressed on, supplied by a final jolt of hope.

Spears no longer pursued her, but she barely noticed. Breathing heavily, she flew across the boardwalk, and at long last, her feet touched down on the stone of the cave's path. She was in the clear. Allowing her pace to slow only slightly, Day searched frantically for the room's exit—

She skidded to a half, crying out.

Day had found a _dead end_. Literally.

There was nothing past the cliff's ledge but a black abyss. She'd been cornered.

" _No!"_ Day spun around; maybe if she was quick enough, she could find another route of escape—

Undyne was only feet away, blocking the path. She was unarmed. Just staring.

Day backed up as far as the cliff would allow, shaking violently. At first, she tried to make a plea for mercy, but the words wouldn't come. Besides, she had a feeling Undyne would be deaf to anything she managed to force out.

Undyne, still without a weapon, began to approach.

Day retreated, but was stopped by the cliff—she glanced back, struggling to keep her footing. It was either take her chances with Undyne or jump, and Day was beginning to seriously consider the latter.

"Hey kid."

Day's head flew up, in disbelief of what she'd just heard.

Sans was standing casually, a few inches in front of Undyne. His hands were pocketed, and he seemed unfazed by the confrontation occurring around him.

"Now, what did I just get through telling you about staying out of trouble?" he joked.

 _Sans! Sans will help!_

Without a second thought, Day dashed forward, sure he would protect her from—

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Undyne suddenly dove in front of the skeleton, a bright spear crackling in her fist, "BACK OFF, PUNK!" With a roar, she drove her spear straight into the ground.

The rock split in two, separating the monsters from Day. The cliff beneath her feet began to buckle, then in a thunderous crescendo, plummeted downwards.

Day lost her balance almost instantly, and before she had a chance to cry out, she was tumbling into darkness with the shattered remains of rock. Then she screamed.

Above, Undyne perched on the new ledge, watching her fall. When Day finally vanished from sight, she huffed. It was done.

"Man, you uh… didn't waste any time there, did'ja? Well, you're nothing if not e- _fish_ -ient."

Undyne turned to glare at him; his face was set in a permanent wink, deepening her scowl.

"Some good her soul will do us down there," she snapped.

Sans chuckled, "I'd say you've got _sharp_ eyes, but… y'know, the plural doesn't quite fit there…"

Undyne resisted the overpowering urge to beat him over the head with a spear, and settled with a simple growl.

"Keep it up, and we'll see how _sharp_ it is the next time a human tries to attack you like that!" She turned swiftly, now needing to find a new way down, "And shouldn't you be at your post, slacker?"

Still winking, Sans rolled the opened eye, "Yes _captain."_

"Watch it. I can fire you right here, right now."

"You won't."

"Just try me!"

"Just did."

With a snarl of aggravation, Undyne stormed off.

The moment she was safely out of sight, Sans opened his eye; it was fiercely blue. He moved over to the ledge, peering down.

 _I caught something,_ he reasoned, _I felt it. There's something down there._

The question was, did he catch the kid? Or was she twenty feet underwater while he idiotically floated a bolder?

Sans struggled to levitate the object, searching for the glow to appear. The abyss remained dark. Whatever he'd snagged, it was weighing him down.

"Come on now," he chastised himself, "Quit being such a worthless sack of—just lift the damn kid already—"

He felt a sudden crack along the top of his socket, and in reaction to the pain, automatically let his powers fail. A hand flew up to the injury—and he realized what he'd done.

" _Oh crap."_ Sans threw out the hand again, but it was useless; whatever he'd dropped, it was out of range, by now.

He just stared, blank.

"Crap," he repeated, "I just let the kid fall."

There was a long pause.

"… Well shit."

* * *

 _"… It sounds like it came from over here…" There were muffled footsteps, "Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you?"_

 _"I… ngh…"_

 _"Are you okay? Here, get up… be careful…"_

 _"Ow…"_

 _"Don't hurt yourself… can you tell me your name?"_

 _"Wh… huh? It's… it's Chara."_

 _"Chara, huh? That's a nice name. My… name… is…"_

* * *

"W-wait—" Day stirred, "Don't leave—"

Something brushed against her cheek, snapping her out of the dream. She was surrounded on all sides by golden flowers, like the ones that had broken her fall in the ruins.

Day tried to sit up, but groaned, then sank back to the ground. Everything hurt. It wasn't quite the agony she'd experienced after her first fall, but the sensation certainly wasn't pleasant. The sound of rushing water overwhelmed her senses, so Day laid idle, staring at nothing.

… _Chara._

Where had _that_ come from? She'd thought she heard two people talking above her, but saw no one. _Was it just a dream?_ Maybe… but she'd never met anyone named Chara, before. How could she dream about someone she'd never met? And who was the other speaker?

There was a musical jingle, nowhere near as loud as the water, coming from somewhere around her. She reached down blindly for her phone, managed to grab ahold of it, and accepted the call.

"Hello? Day? Are you there? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Papyrus?"

"There you are! How are you?"

"I'm… good," she lied, not wanting to bother him with her current troubles.

"… Oh?" His tone had changed, "Are you sure? Because… maybe I'm wrong, but it kind of sounds like… you're not."

Day again tried to sit up, "No no, it's fine. I'm okay—" She winced, "Ow—ow…"

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He was worried, "I do not think you're okay! Day, are you telling the truth? Or are you hurt?"

"I'm…" She put out a hand to steady herself, "… No, I'm not okay."

"Oh no! What happened?!"

Day told him about the violent encounter, and was slowly reduced to no more than a trembling ball. The pain had begun to fade, but only because she was too consumed by gut-wrenching terror to notice it any longer.

"Wow, that must have been very scary!" Papyrus observed, "Are you _very_ hurt?!"

"No," she assured, "It's not that bad. I'm okay. I promise."

"Well that's good! Where are you right now?"

"Um…" Day surveyed the room; all she saw was water. The cave rose up around her on every side, channeled into a single path. There looked to be no end.

"Do you see anything?"

"No," she told him, "There's just water. And walls. And some yellow flowers right here, but—"

"Hm… that's not very helpful, you know. There tends to be water in lots of places in Waterfall. Are you sure there isn't anything else? You have no idea where you are?"

"I don't kn-know—" Tears welled up in her eyes, "I don't know where I am—there's nothing—no—" Fear overwhelmed her, and Day started to cry.

On the other end, Papyrus suddenly blurted, "Oh no! Please don't cry! No! Day, you're not supposed to cry! Was it something I said wrong? I'm very sorry! Don't cry; it'll be okay!"

She tried to stifle her cries, "N-no—it's not your—f-fault—s-sor—"

"Please don't cry! Everything will be okay! I promise! Okay?"

Day nodded, then remembering she was on the phone, managed to reply, "Ok-kay."

"Okay? Don't be sad! I definitely can't call myself your dear friend if I fail to cheer you up again! But what can I do, if neither of us know where you are? Hm… I could—oh! I have an idea! How about I keep talking to you until you find something? Would that make you feel better?"

She sniffled, "Mm-hm."

"Very well then; that is what I shall do! So whenever you feel ready to, get up and start looking for something besides water! The Great Papyrus shall be here to provide you with encouragement and comfort until then!"

Day pushed herself to her feet, "Thank you."

"Nyeheh, of course!"

After taking a few experimental steps, Day didn't feel any additional pain, so she walked forward, keeping her pace slow. The area didn't change much: more water, more tall walls.

"Still nothing?"

"Still nothing," she confirmed lowly.

"Hm. Well, just keep walking! Something is bound to turn up soon!"

His optimism provided her with the determination to continue; Day didn't lose hope just yet.

"Um, I am also very sorry about Undyne trying to take your soul!" Papyrus apologized, "She really is a very nice person, when you get to know her! Before Sans and I lived in Snowdin, we used to be in Waterfall a lot, so we saw Undyne all the time! She's been my best friend for the longest time of anyone—well, everyone except Sans, anyway. But I'm sure when she takes the time to get to know you and realizes you're not a bad human, she'll stop trying to hurt you!"

Day wasn't sure she believed him… but deep down, she hoped he was right.

Gradually, things began to emerge from the water; piles of dark, moldy garbage were scattered everywhere. The stench lingered heavy on the air, so Day made a conscious effort to breathe through her mouth.

The heaps began to grow taller the further she walked. Soon, they seemed to stretch to the ceiling, prepared to topple over at any given moment. Day kept to the middle of the walkway, to avoid nudging them in any way.

Something floated by her foot, the bright colors catching her eye. She knelt down to take a closer look—it was the wrapper to a chocolate bar. One she recognized.

How on earth did a chocolate bar from the surface make it underground? It's not like someone could have brought it there.

"Weird…" she commented, mostly to herself.

"What's weird? Did you find something?" Papyrus asked curiously.

"Hm? Oh—yes, I found a candy bar wrapper in the water."

"Really? That's not very exciting."

"No, not really. But it looks like a kind I've seen on the surface."

"OH! Yes, I see how you would think that is weird! However, you are mistaken; it is not very weird at all, actually! Stuff from the human world comes into the underground all the time!"

"It does?"

"Yes indeed! Most of the time it's carried in by the water—that's how Undyne found the cool flag I showed you in my room! You can find all sorts of cool things, if you go looking for them in the right place! One good place to look is the garbage dump! Sans and I found a lot of interesting toys and books there when we had to leave the—"

"Wait, what?"

"We found a lot of books that I own there! Of course, Sans picked out all the boring ones about science and math stuff, but—"

"No, I mean… where did you say you found them?"

"The garbage dump?"

"I think that's where I am!"

"You do? Do you see a lot of garbage everywhere?"

"Yes!"

"Then I think you _are_ in the garbage dump! That would make the most sense, with what you're seeing! That's very good news! It means you're not far from the ghost house—and Undyne's house! In fact, you're very close to them!"

Finally, everything was beginning to look brighter, "Where do I go?"

"It's very easy!" Papyrus claimed, "All you have to do is—"

"YOU!"

Day yelped at the sudden exclamation and dropped her phone. It plopped into the water, disappearing from sight.

"Oh no!" She quickly knelt down and fished it out, but she was too slow. The screen fizzed, then went black. No amount of button pressing got a reaction; it had died.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"

Day stared up at the speaker; a worn out punching dummy was floating in midair. He sounded enraged.

"So YOU'RE the one!" he spat, "I'm the ghost that lives inside a dummy! My cousin used to live inside a dummy too, until… YOU CAME ALONG!"

She shrank back timidly, "M-me?"

"YES YOU! When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat... But the things you SAID! Horrible! Shocking! UNBELIEVABLE! It spooked them right out of their dummy!"

Day had no clue what he was talking about, but decided to apologize anyway.

"I'm—I'm really sorry," she stammered, "I didn't mean to—"

"Well you still did, DIDN'T YOU?!" The dummy began to shake violently, "HUMAN, I will make you PAY for what you did to my cousin! MY COUSIN… er… whatever their name was!"

She was in no state or mood to fight, "Please, I didn't mean to—I don't want to—"

To her surprise, the mad dummy was no longer paying attention to her; he flinched from some unseen attack.

"GAH! What was that?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"I—I didn't—"

She caught a glimpse a shimmering substance, gravitating towards the dummy and plunking silently against him.

"GAH! NO MORE!" He seemed to be overreacting to the harmless attacks, "Fine. FINE. FINE! I GIVE UP! I DON'T EVEN CARE!" The dummy floated off, still grumbling, "You had to go and use ACID RAIN ON ME! UNFAIR!"

Day was utterly baffled—until a certain "happy" haunt materialized before her.

"Sorry… I interrupted you, didn't I?"

She beamed, "Blooky!"

"Oh… Hi Day…" Napstablook floated aimlessly in the air, "I saw you were talking to someone… but you didn't seem very happy… so I came over to see what was wrong… and I scared whoever it was away on accident… oh no…"

"It's okay!" Day assured quickly, spotting tears glistening in his eyes, "You didn't do anything wrong! I'm happy to see you!"

"Oh…? You are? Really?" Napstablook seemed surprised, "Oh… well… I'm happy to see you too…" His mouth was halfway between a smile and a frown, "So… what are you doing here? In… the garbage dump?"

"I fell in," she told him, "Do you know a way out?"

"Oh… well… maybe…" He glanced behind himself, "I… sort of live around here… that's a way out… I guess… if you want to follow me…"

Day accepted eagerly, "Okay, I'll follow you."

"Okay…" Napstablook began to drift away, "Just tell me if I'm going too fast… or too slow… or too high… or too low… or anything like that…"

She followed close behind, and the ghost kept his pace slow and steady, allowing her to keep up. Day had pocketed her phone glumly—the one way she had to talk to Papyrus, ruined. All because she had to go and freak out over nothing. Safe to say, she was beating herself up about it a little.

The dark pit of the garbage dump soon gave way to a larger, brighter room. A small pool sat in the center, rippling peacefully, and the area echoed with the quiet sound of trickling water.

Napstablook turned to face her again, "Well, I'm going to head home now… feel free to… "come with," if you want… but no pressure… I understand if you're busy… it's fine… no worries… just thought I'd offer…"

Day smiled gently at his uncertainty, "I'd love to come with you, Blooky."

He looked taken aback, "Oh… I wasn't expecting that… well, my house is up here if you want to come… or if you don't…"

"Okay."

The two traveled to the back of the room, and Day blinked in surprise at what she saw. There were two tall houses, shaped like Napstablook, drooping wistfully to the side. One was baby blue, the other a pale pink.

"This one is mine…" Napstablook floated over to the blue one on the left, "It's not much… but make yourself at home… if you want…"

He simply phased through the door, leaving Day alone outside. She reached up for the knob and entered the gloomy house.

It was only a single room. The walls were a rustic orange, cracked in the paint, and the paneled wooden floor showed the same wear and tear.

Napstablook was hovering in front of an old-looking computer, a pair of large headphones over the space his ears might have been. Somehow, he seemed to hear her anyway.

"Welcome to… my home…" He looked around the room glumly, "I told you it's not much… but… oh well. It's home…"

"It's nice," Day told him, "It's very… cozy."

"Oh… well now that you mention it… yeah, it is… kind of…" Napstablook seemed a bit less ashamed, "I guess I should show you around…"

The ghost floated over to a pile of CD cases in the corner, "These are… my CDs. I… make music… I have a lot of time to do that…"

"You make music?" Day asked, impressed.

"Yeah… sometimes…" There was an awkward pause, "Did you… want to hear some?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to hear your music."

"Oh… okay…" He drifted back to his computer, "I… think I have a song here… I call it… "Spookwave"."

A heavily distorted, odd jumble of sounds erupted from the speakers—it took Day a second to realize that _it_ was the music. There was definitely a rhythm to it, albeit a unique one.

 _Must be one of those "acquired taste" things._

"Do… you… like it?" Napstablook asked uncertainly.

Day nodded, "It's really good."

"Was it… spooky?"

"It was _really_ spooky."

"Oh… good… that's what I was going for…"

She smiled, "So you want to be a musician?"

"Sort of…" He seemed to sink a bit, "I… sort of want to… but I have a job to keep up with, already…"

"What's your job?"

"Oh… I run the Blook Family Farm… of snails… I'm… the only employee. We used to get a lot of business… but then one day, our main customer stopped coming… so now the only person who comes is this big guy… that's why I have a lot of time…"

Day listened patiently, "Where did the other workers go?"

Napstablook blinked silently at first, "Oh… well… it used to be me and my cousins… but… two of them left… so it was just me and my last cousin… they lived next door in that pink house… but they left too… so now I live here by myself…"

"…Oh." Day felt guilty for the question now, "I'm sorry."

"Oh… that's okay… it's no problem…" Napstablook paused again, "… Well… that's really all there is to see… sorry, my house isn't very exciting…" He seemed to remember something, "Oh… but if you do want to go somewhere more exciting… there's a place around here… called, uh… Temmie Village."

"Temmie Village?"

"Yeah… it's… I don't go there a lot… it can be a little… loud sometimes… but you might like it… maybe…"

"How do I get there?"

"Oh… uh… I don't know if I remember exactly… it's around a place with glowing mushrooms… sorry, that's all I can remember right now… but you can find it, I think…"

Day nodded, "Okay, I'll go look for it."

"Okay… I'm gonna stay here… and keep working on my mix CD…"

"Thank you for inviting me into your home," she remembered to say.

"Oh… no problem…" Napstablook said, "If you… ever want to come back and… "hang out" again… you can… if you want to… ever…"

She nodded, then waved, "Bye Blooky!"

"Bye… Day…"

* * *

She thought she heard Shyren's voice echoing from a room ahead of her, so Day picked up the pace.

There was another waterfall flowing over the path, and echo flowers sprouted up across every inch of the marsh. The sound was being projected from the flowers, who in turn heard the others and repeated the song nonstop. It was indeed Shyren's voice, singing—along with her own.

Day blushed, then groaned, "No… not this again…" The song continued unabated, so Day clasped her hands over her ears, effectively blocking it out. Only when she was several feet past the last echo flower did Day remove her hands.

 _Just when I almost forgot about that,_ she mused, continuing forward. She couldn't say she regretted it completely—she liked singing with Shyren. The monster seemed happy with the duet, and truth be told, so was she. It just lost its fun value when other monsters were listening.

Day nudged a pebble on the path with her foot. What was it Sister Katherine had said? She remembered it was right after she'd dropped and broken a vase in the foyer…

It came after a few seconds of pondering: _Clumsy, scared of your own shadow, cries every time someone raises their voice… you're lucky you're cute, Albright._

Her words didn't exactly make Day feel better, even if they resembled a compliment at the end.

The pebble she'd kicked landed a few inches away, stopped by a stout blue mushroom. _This must be the room Blooky was talking about._ It glowed faintly, illuminating a rocky path that led deep within the cave, _But I don't see any sort of village…_

She followed the path regardless, walking towards the next patch of mushrooms she saw. It seemed to snake all around the darkened room, from one wall to the other; Day was sure she was going in circles.

Behind her, there was a scuffle, like the patter of little feet.

Day spun around quickly, "Hello?"

No one was there.

Then, the scuffle arose in front of her—but again, nothing revealed itself.

"Hello?" she repeated, "Is someone there?"

Something giggled, "Tee hee hee… maaaaaaaaaaaybeeeeee…"

It was teasing her.

"Where are you?"

"Soooooomewheres…"

"Can you please tell me? I'm looking for Temmie Village."

"OH! TEM VILLGE!" It sounded excited, "I knows there! I goes there now! You follow Tem's voice! Tem lead you to… TEM VILLGE!"

Day tried to make out the position of the speaker, "Wait—where are you?"

"Over heeeeeeeere!" It came from the back of the cave, off the lit path. For all she knew, this could be some dangerous monster trying to lure her away.

"Um…" Day was having second thoughts, "I… I can't see you… maybe if you just came over here—"

"Awawawah! Human such a… CUTE!"

… Somehow, she was less "intemidated" by the voice, now.

Day followed blindly, putting her hands out in case she should run into anything hidden by the darkness.

"Good walk! Now! Keep follow Tem! Almost to… TEM VILLGE!"

There was a faint source of light in the distance, revealing a corner in the rock. Someone was surely on the other side.

Gathering her "detemination," Day crept to the corner, then preparing herself for whatever she might see, stepped forward—

…

 _What… in the world?_

The area was filled to the brim with small, white… things. At first, Day thought they were dogs—but they had cat ears, too. And black bangs. And every single one blinked back at her.

Day didn't move. Uncertainly, she raised her hand in a wave, "Uh… hi?"

"HOI!"

"HOI HUMAN!"

"HUUUUUMAN!"

"CUTE HUMAN! SO CUTES! MUCH MUCH CUTE!"

"HUMAN! Welcome to… TEM VILLGE!"

Overwhelmed by this onslaught of greetings, Day barely noticed that the monsters had begun to slowly gravitate towards her. Gravitate meaning they started to vibrate gently, buzzing, closing in.

One popped up beside Day, "HOI! I'm Temmie! And dis is my friend… TEMMIE!"

Hearing her name, four other monsters popped up to join her.

"HOI! I'm Tem—"

"No I'M Tem—"

"NO NO NOS! I IS DA REAL TEM!"

"NOOOOOO! I TEM!"

Day took a cautionary step back to avoid the squabbling Temmies. Behind them, she could make out a tall stone statue resembling an enormous Temmie. Another Temmie was hunched over a colorful egg, muttering things like "Tem… WATCH EGG! Egg… HATCH! Tem… BE PROUD PARENT!"

Another was hopping from wall to wall, wailing, "HOIVS HOIVS HOIVS!"

Not looking where she was going, Day tripped over something small and fluffy—another Temmie. Rather than leaping around with excitement, this one merely nodded to her in greeting.

"Hello." His voice was low, "I'm Bob."

Day nodded too, "Nice… to meet you." She put a hand on the wall, using it to stand. The moment she raised her eyes, Day noticed a small crack in the rock. Something moved from within. Curiously, she put her eye up to the wall to peer inside—

"Hooooooooi." A Temmie stared back at her, "I seeeeeeeeees you…"

Day flew back with a cry; she'd had her fill of Temmie Village, for now. Without once looking back, Day fled the room, unnoticed by the Temmies.

"What if Tem give you LOTZ OF TEM FLAKES! Then you say Tem real Tem?"

"TEM FLAKES? OOOOOOOH… Tem not sure…"

"TEM FLAKES? WHO HAS TEM FLAKES?!"

"TEM WANT TEM FLAKES!"

"TEEEEEEEEEEEEEM FLAAAAAAAAAAAKES!"

Bob nodded soberly, "Indeed."

* * *

 _ **As an introvert, Day's reaction to Temmie Village is practically my own when walking into a class of children. Or my own classes. Same difference. If you could just see all the red squiggly lines for misspellings here... yeesh...**_

 _ **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed somewhat! Feel free to leave any comments or critiques you may have; I appreciate all feedback.**_

 _ **Next time, we get to see just how deadly Undyne can be! Yee haw!**_


	16. The Undefeatable and Unforgiving Undyne

_**Okay, let me just start out by saying:**_

 _ **I AM SO SORRY ABOUT HOW LATE THIS IS! I was out of town for the weekend, and then on Monday I had to recover from the sob fest that was the Gravity Falls series finale... I may have cried twice... It's my dream to make something as high quality and beautiful as Alex Hirsch's work.**_

 _ **Again, I am very sorry this is late. So anyway, enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

Once the… "experience" that was Temmie Village was long behind her, Day found herself in a much darker room than before. Purple crystals did a poor job of lighting the path, and thus she couldn't gauge how far back it went.

While she was pondering her options, there was a drawn out "Heeeeeeeeya," from behind her that didn't sound at all Temmie-like.

Day turned cautiously, "Hello?"

A giant seahorse creature grinned charmingly back at her, then winked.

"Heya human. You lost?"

"Um… sort of…" He was floating just above the ground—and for some odd reason, wasn't wearing a shirt. Day did the best she could to disguise her discomfort, "I'm trying to get out of Waterfall… and get to the barrier…"

"Oooooh… gotcha." He winked again, "I could show you the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah… a little cutie like you s'gotta have someone to protect her from all the scary monsters out there…"

Day didn't inform him that he too was a monster; she was just glad to have someone who knew the way.

"Thank you."

"No problem, cutie." Again, he winked. "You'd better stay close to me… you never know what could be hiding out there in the dark…"

She did as he suggested, following the monster as he floated along the path.

"The name's Aaron, by the way," he told her, "That's two a's, for my two fabulous arms." Aaron flexed them proudly, muscles bulging, "Probably the best two arms in all the underground."

Day wasn't sure how to respond.

"Pretty awesome, aren't they?"

"Mm-hm."

"They sure are." He kissed a bicep, "Hard not to love a guy with arms like these."

Day reverted to nodding. Clearly, he didn't need her there to compliment him (he seemed to be doing quite well on his own).

When they neared a purple crystal, its glow brightened drastically; little by little, a path became visible. It seemed everything in the underground was more or less a puzzle. Day was grateful that wasn't the case aboveground.

Aaron was still flexing away without a care in the world; every so often, he would cast a glimpse at her. At first, Day assumed it was to make sure she was still following. But soon, she realized her misinterpretation—Aaron winked at her, then made a kissing motion.

Day stopped looking at him altogether. She was starting to wish she'd taken the risk and stumbled through the dark room on her own.

They passed the last purple crystal, and the room channeled into a narrow, dark hallway. Despite her slight disgust, Day stuck close to Aaron; if anything _was_ lurking around, at least he would be there to protect her.

"So…" Aaron spoke up, drawing out the word, "What sorta things do you like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you know…" He laughed oddly, "Like… stuff you like. You know?"

Day stared at her shoes, which was becoming increasingly impossible in the growing darkness, "Uh… no?"

Aaron laughed as if this was the funniest thing he'd heard in years.

"Hilarious!" Once he'd collected himself, he clarified, "Like, tell me your favorite color."

"Yellow."

"Mine too!"

"Really?" she asked, not entirely interested.

"Sure is! Man, we have _so_ much in common…" Aaron flicked her with his tail, "I think it's a sign."

Day was thrown off by his sudden nudge, and she stumbled slightly. Hair fell into her face, obstructing her vision. She took in a slow breath, then fixed it without complaint.

"A sign of what?" she asked, making sure her tone was patient.

"Oh… you know…"

Day kept quiet, getting frustrated; what was she supposed to know? He was making her feel incredibly stupid, not understanding whatever was being hinted at.

Then, someone called her name.

Day stopped in her tracks, "Hello?"

Aaron glanced down at her, winking, "Hello to you too, cutie."

"Shh!" she shushed him quickly, venturing forward to listen for the voice again, "Hello?"

"… Day…"

It was a man's voice. She'd heard it before.

"Keep talking please!" she called out, "So I can find you!"

"Day…"

Behind her, Aaron looked nowhere near as confident as before.

"Uh… who are you talking to?" he questioned.

Day paid no mind to him, "Say something again, if you can!"

"D…Day…"

It was faint, so Day hurried forward in its direction, deeper into the darkness of the cave.

"W-wait!" Aaron hurried to catch up with her, "D-don't leave me alone! In the dark!"

Day paused, "Come on, then."

Aaron floated over, sticking as close to her as possible. This time, Day was sure it was out of fear and not flirting, so she didn't mind.

They continued walking. Her name was repeated every few seconds, gradually becoming louder as they progressed. Day was trying fruitlessly to remember where she'd heard this voice before. It was in Waterfall, she knew that much. But who…?

Beside her, Aaron whimpered, "Who is that? Wh-who's calling you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?! And you're following it?!"

"Mm-hm."

"…W-well… uh… c-can I maybe… h-hold your hand?"

"What?"

"J-just cause… n-not that I'm scared or anything! J-just—"

Day repressed a sigh and held out her hand, barely able to see him, "Here, go ahead."

Aaron clutched it in a death grip, making Day wince, but she didn't fight him. She just gritted her teeth to bear the pain and led him forward.

Then, Day saw it: the echo flower. As soon as she approached, it again, in a faint voice, wisped, "Day…"

The voice from the echo flower! That's where she recognized it!

"Hey!" She ran forward, dragging Aaron along with her.

"Day," it said clearly.

"Wh-what?! How is it talking on its own?!" Aaron blurted, "Echo flowers aren't supposed to be able to do that! S-something's up with all this, man…"

Day paid little attention to him, and left his side to stand directly in front of the flower. It was nearly as tall as she was.

"I'm here," she told it, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"Look out."

She was confused, "Look out? For what?"

"Behind you."

Day turned, "Behind me-?"

Instantly, she retreated back against the wall.

 _Undyne._

Aaron too was in a panic, "Oh! H-hey there—uh, M-Miss Undyne! Uh—" He hurriedly pointed out Day, "L-look! A human! I knew you were looking for one! S-so I went and—"

Undyne jerked a thumb over her shoulder, telling him to scram.

"Y-yeah! No problem!" He slunk by, still stammering, "J-just uh, ignore me! I'll just be going… uh, h-hey, so since you're here, have you uh, thought anymore about that offer for a da—"

She turned her head swiftly, an eye flashing in annoyance. Aaron took the hint and fled without further babbling.

Undyne returned her attention to Day, but didn't say anything. The only light in the room seemed to come from the faint echo flower (which had now fallen silent), causing Undyne's armor to glow a dark blue. The rest of her remained an inky black.

Day flattened herself against the cold wall, trembling fiercely.

Then, Undyne spoke.

"Seven."

There was a long, heavy pause.

"… Seven," she repeated, "Seven human souls." Another pause. "With the power of seven human souls, our king… King Asgore Dreemurr… will become a god."

An uncontrollable shudder coursed through Day's body. The claim terrified her.

"With that power, King Asgore can finally shatter the barrier…" She clenched a fist and shook it with fervor, "He will finally take the surface back from those humans… and give _them_ back all the suffering and pain that we've endured trapped down here!" Undyne seemed to stare Day directly in the soul, "Understand, human? _This_ is your only chance for redemption. Now, give up your soul…" A spear materialized in her hand, "… or I'll tear it from your body."

Day's heart leapt into her throat, rendering her speechless. She searched hopelessly for an escape; there was a wall to her left, a tall patch of grass on her right. Maybe if she could just make it to the grass and duck inside—

Undyne caught her darting eyes.

"Oh no you don't!" She planted herself in front of it, "You are _not_ running away from me again! This is gonna be a fair fight, whether you like it or not!"

The grass began to rustle violently, and in a yellow blur, Zeta dashed out, positioning herself unknowingly in the middle.

"Yo!" she exclaimed, facing Day, "You did it! Undyne is _right in front of you!_ You've got front row seats to see her fight! To see her fight… uh… who is she fighting, actually?" Zeta glanced back at Undyne, then Day, then Undyne, and then realized…

"Wait… Day? Why does it look like she's—"

Undyne snatched up Zeta by the collar of her shirt and, without explanation, began marching her away.

"H-hey!" Zeta blurted, "You aren't gonna tell my parents on me, are you?"

The moment Undyne turned her back, Day made a mad dash for the grass, diving inside for safety.

The clang of Undyne's armor soon vanished, but Day remained hidden, still terrified. She scooted back in the grass, sticking out a hand to feel for the wall, but it never came. In fact, the grass ended long after she'd passed beneath the rock of the cave wall.

Not sure what was happening, Day spun around; the room was filled with echo flowers. Stepping inside, the water rose to her knees, making her shiver. She waded through the room, keeping her pace brisk as possible. She wasn't sure how quickly Undyne would return to the chase.

Every so often, something would drift down from the ceiling, catching her attention. The rock face was being eaten away by dripping water, and when a drop fell, some of the mineral would come with it. It caught the small amount of light and shimmered a variety of colors, giving the area a magical feel.

Then again, she was in a hidden underground cave filled with monsters. Things couldn't get that much more magical.

She passed an echo flower, which was muttering something she couldn't quite make out. Day returned to it curiously, listening.

"… I say my wish, do you promise not to laugh?"

"Course I won't."

There were two distinct voices: one a girl with a squeaky voice, the other much lower and harder to hear.

The conversation seemed to continue at the next echo flower, "Well… someday I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under."

"Oh?"

"I wanna stand under the sky, looking at the world all around… see the… uh… what are they called?"

"Stars."

"Yeah! See the stars… yeah. That's my wish."

Another echo flower seemed to chuckle, prompting a very hurt sounding "Hey! You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"Sorry, it's just funny—"

"Wh-why is it funny?! Does it sound stupid? You think I'm stupid, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I just mean it's funny because…"

The rest trailed off incoherently, making Day despair. _What?! What were they going to say?!_

Now that her miniature drama had abruptly ended, Day decided to move on. Echo flowers behind, the water receded, leaving a clear rocky path. For a few feet, it ran narrow, dropping off the side, forcing her to keep close to the wall.

As soon as she had crossed the treacherous area, Day heard a familiar "Yo!" from behind her. Zeta came bounding up the path, a bit out of breath, and stopped within a few inches of Day.

"Yo," she repeated, "I know I'm not supposed to be here, but… I wanna ask you something."

Day nodded to show she was listening.

"Uh… man, I've never had to ask anyone this, before… yo, you're a human, aren't you?"

She hesitated, then nodded, "Yes. I'm a human."

Zeta laughed slightly, "Ha… man, I knew it! Er, I know now, I mean. Uh, I asked because… Undyne told me, uh: "Stay away from that human!" So… I guess… that sorta makes us enemies or something?"

Day frowned, "We don't have to be."

"Well, yeah, but…" Zeta stared at her feet, "To be honest, I'm not very good at the whole "enemies" thing, so… do you think you could say something mean so that I can hate you?"

"I… I don't think I can do that," she refused quietly.

"Yo, what? So I have to do it?" Zeta frowned bitterly, "Ugh… fine, here goes: yo, I… I hate your guts."

Even though the insult felt forced, it still hurt.

"… Man." Zeta kicked at the ground, "I'm… I'm such a turd."

"It's okay…"

Zeta was not consoled, "I'm gonna go home now. I… guess I won't see you later." She turned to scurry off, oblivious to the narrowing of the path, and teetered dangerously close to the edge.

"Zeta," Day called after her, seeing the risk, "Be careful of the-"

Her warning proved useless; Zeta slipped, then plunged over the side.

"HEY!" she cried out in surprise. Her shirt snagged on a rock, leaving her dangling helplessly in midair.

"ZETA!" Day rushed over to her friend, almost plummeting herself.

"H-help!" Zeta screeched, "I-I tripped!"

She had no hand for Day to grab onto, so in a desperate attempt, she latched onto Zeta's shirt with both hands. The added jostling freed it from the rock, and Day was left to support Zeta's full weight. She let go with one hand to hold onto the rock, not wanting them both to fall. But single-handedly, Day was beginning to lose her grip on both.

"D-don't let me fall, Day!" Zeta begged, sounding absolutely terrified, "Pl-please! I don't want die!"

Hearing the fear in her voice, Day lost a little of her own; she replaced her other hand on Zeta's shirt, then with all her might, struggled to heave the monster up.

The rock crumbled slightly under her feet the closer she came to the edge, but Day ignored it. Her fingers were beginning to ache and would soon fail. She had to finish this quickly _._

With a final raw surge of determination, Day yanked Zeta up and over the ledge, and they both collapsed safely across the path.

Breathing heavily and with arms throbbing from exertion, Day couldn't help but smile: she did it. She actually did it.

Soon Zeta was standing over her, grinning.

"Yo!"

Day grinned back, "Hi."

"Yo, that was awesome! You totally saved my butt! Now I owe you one again!"

She sat up, rubbing her sore forearms, "It was no problem, I—" Suddenly, she froze. Her smile vanished.

Undyne was standing directly behind Zeta, spear in hand, ready to attack.

Seeing the change in her expression, Zeta turned. Undyne made a motion for her to get out of the way.

Zeta took a long look back at Day, then returned her attention to Undyne. She seemed indecisive.

"Hey," Undyne snapped, "What did I tell you? Get away from that human!"

Rather than obeying, Zeta backed up further, taking a stand in front of Day.

"Uh… y-yo, dude…" She was shaking horribly, but remained fixed in place, "If… if you wanna hurt my fr-friend… you gotta… you're gonna have to go through me, first."

Both Undyne and Day said nothing at first, equally shocked. Day glanced nervously back at Undyne, fearing what she would unleash upon the small monster. She even started to reach out in order to pull Zeta back, not wanting her to receive any undue punishment—

Undyne retreated a step. Then another. Then with what sounded like a growl, stomped off back to where she'd come from.

When she was out of sight, Zeta laughed nervously, "Wh-whoa… she's gone! I-I didn't actually think that was gonna work!"

Day too suffered a fit of nervous laughter, then to stifle it, moved forward and hugged Zeta tightly.

"Th-thank you," she said, "If you hadn't been here, Undyne would've…"

"Yeah… I guess maybe… she might not be as cool as I thought, since she was planning to hurt you like that…" Zeta managed to smile, "Guess that whole "being enemies" thing was just a nice thought, huh? We'll just have to stay friends, instead!"

Day beamed, "I guess so."

Zeta suddenly seemed to remember something, "Man, I'd better get home—my parents are probably worried sick about me! And yours must be too! So hurry up and make it to the barrier, okay?"

She didn't respond.

Zeta didn't seem to mind. "Later dude!" was all she added before running off (taking extra precaution at the narrow section).

Day just stood a minute, emotionally numb. Zeta had said it so casually; she doubted the monster would even remember the phrase if asked. But Day heard it. Clearly.

* * *

Everything changed in the next room.

It was wide open. A breeze seemed to come from out of nowhere, whipping the bangs from her face. The path rose up from everything around it. Only a single rocky mountain towered above, looming in the faint, red light.

Day held onto the limp arms of her sweater, meshing them in her hands. This place gave her a bad feeling. The path abruptly veered off into the mountain, but before she entered, Day stared upwards.

There, perched at the summit, was Undyne. She was already staring down, waiting to be noticed.

Day stopped in her tracks. Running seemed to be useless. She'd been caught for real, this time.

The wind continued to howl, giving way to short periods of eerie silence.

"... Seven."

Undyne watched Day with a gaze so sharp, the spear looked like a toy, "Seven human souls, and King Asgore Dreemurr will become a god." There was a pause, enough for an intake of breath, "Six. That's how many we have collected thus far. Understand?"

Somehow, Day had the sense to nod, once.

"Through your seventh and final soul, this world…" Undyne swept a spear across the empty horizon, "Will be transformed." Her tone was calm and measured, "First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far… I will tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started long ago…"

…

Day waited, but nothing came.

"… No, you know what? SCREW IT!" Undyne was suddenly much less composed, "Why the hell should I tell that story when you're about to die?!" In a single motion, Undyne removed her helmet and hurled it down the mountainside.

A long red ponytail was tossed to the side, and her eye—a single eye—flashed yellow. A black patch covered the space where the other eye may have been. She had odd, fish-like features, contorted into a scowl.

"This is all your fault!" she snapped, pointing directly at Day with the spear, "You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams!"

Day wasn't sure how to refute this accusation, "I-I—"

"You're nothing but a coward!" Undyne cut her off, "A pathetic coward, hiding behind kids so that you can run away instead of facing me head on! Oh, and let's not forget your wimpy "goodie-two-shoes" shtick!" Undyne suddenly gained a mocking, whiny tone, "Ooh! Look at me! I'm making _such_ a difference by hugging random strangers!"

Her cheeks began to burn defensively, "N-No I—"

"Shut it!" Undyne snapped, "You know exactly what I'm talking about! That kid, and Papyrus—" She suddenly became much angrier, "You know what would be more valuable to everyone?! If you were dead!"

The words were infinitely more painful than any attack Undyne could've dealt. Her chest felt like it had caved in on itself. Day cowered.

"That's right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!" She struck a heroic pose, a fist held in the air, "Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not nervous at all! When everyone…"

 _Boy,_ Day thought, _she… talks a lot. She's still scary, though._

"… Now human, let's end this! Right here, right now! I'll show you how determined monsters can be!" She clenched her spear with both hands, "For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending—and now, sunlight is just within our reach! I won't let you snatch it away from us!" Rather than just attacking already, Undyne continued to monologue, "But even if you could beat me, no human has ever made it past Asgore! Honestly—"

Day wasn't paying near as much attention as before. Now, more than ever, an escape was needed.

The only chance she had was wherever the path through the mountain led. If she could just slip past Undyne and make it through…

"Alphys told me humans were cool- with their giant robots and flowery swordsmen!" Undyne continued, consumed in her speech, "And yet you keep running like a coward! I am going to end this, and end it properly- you may be determined, but so am I! I _will_ be the hero this world needs! I will make King Asgore proud! I will end this world's suffering once and for all! I will-"

She definitely seemed distracted enough. It was now or never. Day held her breath, then practically on the tips of her toes, took a step forward—

"HEY! Where do you think YOU'RE going?!"

Rather than freezing up, the shock translated into forward momentum—Day ran.

"HEY! Don't you DARE run away from me again!" The earth shook as she leapt off the mountain, landing squarely in the center of the path, " _Get back here, you little brat!"_

Day didn't obey; she sprinted for safety, paying no mind to her surroundings.

Then the spears came raining down. She knew the drill: keep running and do _not_ look back.

" _Stop being so damn resilient!"_ Undyne snarled, " _Get back here and fight me!_ "

The path turned sharply, forcing Day to skid to a halt and try to regain the lost speed. A spear buried itself into the rock before her, then two more to the side, fencing her in.

In an illogical panic, Day tried to slip through the gaps between spears, wasting valuable time, before returning to her senses and backtracking. The obstacle proved effective; Undyne was able to thrust out her hand, grab ahold of Day's collar, hoist her up, then fling her through the air.

Before she could comprehend the fact that she was free falling, Day hit the ground. The sweater around her waist took the brunt of the impact, but she still rolled several times. Disoriented, Day tried to sit up to regain her bearings—

Undyne struck her with the hilt of her spear, sending her flying another few feet. This one hurt. Day clutched her stomach, curling into a ball.

 _No, you have to get up!_ she tried to tell herself, _You have to run or she'll catch you! Get up!_

But she couldn't. Staring up at Undyne, Day was petrified. She couldn't keep running forever. Eventually, she'd be caught; Undyne was faster and stronger.

Day had lost.

Undyne was not giving her a chance to flee, this time. She raised the spear high above her head.

"For King Asgore! And all monster kind!" With this fierce devotional, she brought down the spear—

A musical jingle broke out. But it wasn't coming from Day's phone.

Undyne dug a hand into her armor, withdrew a phone, and answered with a sharp "What?"

And then, the unmistakable, cheery voice rang out: "Hi Undyne! What's up?"

She made an exasperated sound, "Papyrus, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now! Can this wait?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to have interrupted you! I didn't know you were busy, Undyne!"

"What do you need, Papyrus?!"

 _Get up,_ Day's mind ordered, _get up now. Hurry. This is your last chance! Take it!_

"I was just thinking," Papyrus continued, "You, me, and Day should all meet up! I know you two would make great pals if you gave her a chance!"

Undyne nearly crushed the phone, " _You called me just for that?!_ "

"Well I tried to call her first, to see what she thought about it, but she won't answer! I guess she must be really busy! So then I called you—"

"Papyrus, I don't have time for this right now!" she snapped, "I'm in the middle of chasing the—"

Day was now yards away and vanishing rapidly.

"THAT GODDAMN LITTLE PUNK!" She shoved her phone back into the armor and resumed the chase.

Day hadn't thought it possible, but Undyne sounded even more enraged than before. She was going to be in a world of pain, if she got caught.

The cave ended, and Day entered a cavern unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It looked like the inside of a volcano; the room was blisteringly hot and bright.

And there, on the side of the path, was a sentry station. Sans was sitting behind it.

Day dashed over, "SA—"

She quickly cupped a hand over her mouth. He was asleep, head in his arms, and didn't stir at her approach.

 _Now definitely seems like a good time to wake him up!_

But she didn't want to be rude…

"Get back here, human!"

Undyne was getting closer. Panicked, Day dove behind the sentry station, ducking beneath the counter.

No sooner had she done so than something heavy was brought down above her, shaking the station.

She heard Sans yawn, "Oh hey. What's up?"

"Were you sleeping on the job?!"

"Course not. Just resting my sockets."

"You were totally asleep!"

He yawned again.

"And speaking of sockets, what the hell happened to yours? Did that human—?!"

"Nah, nothing like that… I just… _crack myself up,_ y'know?"

Undyne groaned, "I don't have time for this! Did you see where the human went?!"

"Human? In the underground? Are you sure?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"Oh, I'm not playing. Trust me."

"Just tell me which way she went!"

"Well I mean, the path only goes in one direction—"

"Did you actually _see_ her go that way?"

"I told you, no. Whaddyou want from me?"

A spearhead was suddenly driven through the wooden counter, and Day barely withheld a yelp.

"I want you to do your damn job, that's what!"

Sans scoffed, "Alright, chill out… from the looks of things, you've got other _fish to fry…"_

"Sans."

"No, let me _fin_ -ish…"

"Sans I will impale you right now."

"Oh come on, those were good. Look, I haven't seen the kid. Maybe if you go ask your _gill_ -friend— _holy sh—"_

A spear whistled through the air and plunged into the wall several feet back.

Footsteps were receding, and Sans sat up. He said nothing, so Day assumed Undyne had left.

"…Yeesh," Sans muttered shortly after, "Go ahead and try to take my head off, why don't you?" He shifted in his seat, and a few minutes later, started to snore softly.

Convinced the threat had subsided, Day carefully crawled from beneath the station, making sure not to wake him. Upon a second glance, Day noticed what looked like a crack at the corner of his left socket, running to the top of his head. When had that happened? She couldn't help but cringe in sympathy; it must be painful.

Still not wanting to bother him, Day walked along the path, on the lookout for Undyne.

She came to a rickety wooden bridge (much like the one she'd been forced to cross in Snowdin). Only this one wasn't suspended over relatively harmless water. Bubbling, boiling lava flowed below.

While Day was thinking up every possible excuse to avoid this dangerous crossing, there was a sudden metallic crash in front of her.

On the opposite end of the bridge, Undyne had collapsed flat across her stomach.

Day was ready to run… but Undyne didn't rise.

She waited a few seconds. Then more. A minute passed. Undyne still didn't move; something was wrong.

Knowing deep down it would probably get her killed, Day couldn't avoid her convictions; she managed to find her voice and called over, "Are y-y-you okay?"

No reply. She didn't even stir.

Day remained rooted to the spot. Then she bolted across the bridge, not once daring to look down. When she neared Undyne, she stopped again, half expecting it to be a trap.

"… M-Miss Undyne, ma'am?"

A low moan rumbled from within the armor, making Day edge back fearfully, prepared to run again.

Undyne clawed at the ground, trying to pull herself towards something on the path. It was like a white box with a blue bottle on top—a water cooler. She didn't seem to have the strength to move, but continued to try regardless.

"Ngh… come on… c-cant… give up…"

Day moved closer, then halted. She was walking right into Undyne's clutches. She had the chance—she should be running away!

 _But… she needs help…_

 _She wouldn't help you! She'd spear you without a thought! Just run!_

 _She needs water. I have to help her._

 _No you don't! Run!_

Despite the conflicting thoughts, Day was set on her choice. Cautiously and yet with determination, Day walked around Undyne to the water cooler. She poured a cup, then crouching down, held it out.

"Here."

Undyne hesitated for just a moment, but desperation took control; her hand snatched up the cup, and she poured the water over her face rather than drinking it. She managed to heave herself onto one side, then collapsed across her back.

Day remained where she was, awkward and anxious, "D-Do I—do you need more?"

Undyne groaned again, "Armor… too hot… can't… m-move…"

Day panicked silently. _What do I do now?! I can't lift her… she needs to get out of here; it's too hot. But she can't walk! So what do I—_

 _SANS!_

Again ignoring the torrents of lava beneath her, Day dashed across the bridge, heading directly for Sans' stand.

"Sans!" she shouted, and when he didn't wake, Day jostled his arm gently, "Sans!"

"Uuh? Whuzzat—" He sat up, then grinned when he saw her, "Oh, hey kid."

"Sans! I need your help—"

"Well that's an interesting way to return a hello."

"Hi," she said quickly, then repeated, "Sans, I need your help! Undyne was chasing me and then I hid under the stand to get away from her but then I found her on the other side of the bridge and I gave her water but she's still not better and—"

Sans blinked, only absorbing half of what she said in that jumbled rush.

"… Uh…"

Day made a sound of exasperation, "Come on! Something's wrong with her! She needs help!"

"Alright alright, I'm getting up," he assured, taking his sweet time, "What exactly did you say was wrong with her, again?"

"I—I don't really know for sure—but she's really hot—"

"Hey now. You just had a date with my brother; don't go rebounding too quickly."

"She's hot as in temperature! I gave her water, but she still wasn't able to get up—" Day wasn't able to communicate, so she made another frustrated sound, "Come _on!_ Something's definitely wrong with her!"

"Well I could've told you that," he joked, chuckling, but noticeably picked up the pace.

They crossed the bridge together, and the moment Sans spotted Undyne, he simply laughed.

"Look what we have here… could it be that the great and esteemed captain of the Royal Guard needs help from the sentry she was just about to lay off?"

Undyne groaned, "No… I'd rather… die…"

"As tempted as I am to comply—" Sans winked, clearly not serious, "Pap would never forgive me. I probably wouldn't either." He removed a hand from his pocket and it glowed blue; Undyne was hoisted to her feet, and seeing that she couldn't support herself, Sans took some of her weight.

It would've been a comical sight, had it not been for the severity of the situation. Sans was only about half her size, and clearly having a difficult time staying upright under the additional weight.

"Oh jeez—" His smile was strained, "This is gonna be a skele- _ton_ of fun."

"Do you need any help?" Day asked.

"Nah, I'm good. Just gonna teleport back to her place in Waterfall… shouldn't be too hard." He grunted, shifting his friend's weight in an attempt not to drop her, "You keep going, kid."

"Okay…" She started to walk away, but remembered to turn and add, "Thank you."

He nodded briefly, "No problem." Sans grinned up at Undyne, "Say goodbye to your human friend, Undyne."

Undyne glared at Day, barely able to hold her head upright. She bared her teeth menacingly. Day retreated.

Sans chuckled, "Glad to see you two getting along. Heartwarming. I assume it is, anyway—not like I can tell for myself. Skeleton."

Day managed a weak laugh, Undyne a weak groan.

"Have a nice _day,"_ he told her, the pun heavily emphasized, and in a flash of blue, both monsters had vanished.

It was only then could Day truly relax. She inhaled, then let out a long breath. For now, at least, she didn't have to worry about Undyne.

She returned her attention to the path. It led straight to a large white building that seemed a bit out of place amongst the lava and dark rocks. What could be in there?

Only one way to find out.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **Feel free to leave any comments/criticisms you may have- I appreciate feedback of any kind!**_


	17. Lights! Camera! Bloodshed!

_**Hey everyone! This one is relatively short and simple... enjoy!  
**_

* * *

A simple sign above the door read "LAB." As much as she had begun to miss the Snowdin royal guard dogs, Day had a feeling they weren't the sort of "lab"s being referred to.

She lifted a hand to try the door, but it slid open before she could touch it, making her jump back. No longer in range of its sensor, the door shut abruptly.

 _Oh, it's automatic._ Day giggled in spite of herself, feeling foolish, _The skeletons and ghosts don't scare me, but somehow the flowers and doors do._

She approached the door again, no longer wary, and was admitted to the lab.

It was dark. An enormous screen was the only source of light, so Day went over to it- and was stopped by what she saw.

Several video-feeds were opened, monitoring various areas of the underground. Day recognized a few: the large doors to the ruins, an empty sentry station, what seemed to be a waterfall in Waterfall... what was going on, here?

Just then, she heard the "woosh!" of a door opening, and the room was flooded with light. Day spun around to face the sound-

-and a yellow, dinosaur-like monster froze in her tracks, wearing an expression similar to Day's.

"Oh. My. God." Then, frazzled, she repeated, "Oh my god! I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I-I haven't showered! I'm-" She examined her lab coat with disgust, "Ugh, I'm barely dressed! It's all messy in here and...!"

Slowly, she returned her attention to Day. She blinked behind large, round glasses.

"Uh..." Timidly, she smiled, "H-hiya! I'm... I'm Dr. Alphys... um... Asgore's royal scientist!"

"Hi..." Day greeted quietly, "I'm-"

"Oh, I-I know who you are!" she interrupted eagerly, "You're Day! The human that came from the ruins!"

"... Yes...?"

"Oh, b-but don't worry! I'm not, uh, one of the "bad guys"!" Alphys assured hurriedly, "Actually, since you stepped out of the ruins, I've been... um..." She drummed her claws together and laughed nervously, "Eheh... I've been... "observing" your journey through my console, there! All your fights, your friendships, everything! Uh... h-here! Look!"

Alphys dashed past her to the giant screen, and on the machinery below it, began typing in a whirlwind. The live video-feeds were replaced with recordings of...

Day couldn't help but flush, suddenly self-conscious; the recordings were all of _her_. One showed her hiding behind the conveniently shaped lamp while Papyrus prattled on about what capturing a human would do for his image. Another got a perfect view of Papyrus electrocuting himself at the invisible electric maze puzzle. It all seemed so long ago...

"S-see?" Alphys said, "Um, originally I was going to try to stop you, but... watching someone on screen really makes you root for them. S-so, ah, now I want to help you!"

"Really?" Day asked, already starting to feel reassured.

"Yeah! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to the king's castle, no problem!" Alphys paused, "... Well... except for maybe one tiny issue..."

"What's wrong?"

"Okay, so a long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. He's the first robot to ever have a real soul inside! Uh, originally I built him to be an entertainment robot... sort of like... uh, a robotic TV star?"

"That sounds really cool!"

"I know, right?! I was so excited when I finally finished him! You wouldn't believe how long-" She quickly collected herself, "Um- b-but anyway, recently I decided to make him a little bit more useful. You know, just some small, practical adjustments... like, uh..." She got quiet, then muttered, "A-anti human combat features?"

"... Oh."

"But of course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided that I had to remove those features!" Again, her passionate tone subsided into something meeker, "Unfortunately, I may have made just a _teensy_ tiny mistake while doing so. And... um... now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" She laughed nervously, "Eheheh..."

Day was not laughing. _First Undyne... now a killer robot._

Seeing her fearful expression, Alphys was quick to add, "But, um, I'm sure we won't run into him anytime soon! So-"

There was a dull "clang" somewhere in the distance. Before either could comment, it came again, louder.

"Did… you hear something?" Alphys asked her.

Day nodded, "I think so."

The sound repeated thrice more, each closer than the last. The lab practically shook around them with every clang.

Suddenly, Alphys seemed to understand what was happening. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no."

Another bang erupted, and the lights failed shortly after. Day yelped—so did Alphys. For a moment, there was only silence.

And then, the real fun began.

" _Oooooh yes!"_

The voice hadn't come from either of them; it was low and mechanical. Day had never heard anything like it before.

"Welcome, beauties and gentle-beauties!" it continued in a robotically charming voice, "Welcome to… today's quiz show!"

A single light revealed the speaker. It was a large, metal box. With arms. Holding a microphone. A panel of buttons flashed on its surface, giving the illusion of a face, and it balanced solely on a single wheel. There was a large hole in the wall behind him. That explained his dramatic entrance.

"I, of course, am your _lovely_ host, Mettaton!" he introduced, as if speaking to a large audience, "And I can already tell this is gonna be a great show! Now, everybody give a _big_ hand for our fabulous contestant—the human! Ropey, get a good shot of them!"

While Day was still wondering where the "audience" he was addressing was supposed to be, she was nearly blinded as a spotlight shined down on her. Then, an odd fireball of a monster leapt over, balancing a large camera on his head.

His body was spring-like, so he bounced constantly, centering the camera on her. Day tried to edge away, but he would simply hop to the other side, blocking her path.

Suddenly, Mettaton had joined her in the spotlight, a metal arm extended to spin her around in full view of the camera.

"Ever played before, gorgeous?" he asked, holding out the microphone for her answer.

"Uh…" Day was too overwhelmed to speak, "Uh… I-I… I d-don't…"

"No problem!" he interrupted, "It's really very simple! There's only one rule: answer correctly…" The flashing buttons that comprised his face all turned red, "OR YOU DIE."

No pressure there.

Before Day could protest, the show launched into full gear. Mettaton brought up the house lights to reveal a tall podium, while the screen on the back wall displayed a blank scoreboard.

Alphys was just as flustered as her, "Uh—s-sorry about all this, b-but—you'd better do what he says! I-I'm not sure what will happen if… w-well…" She lowered her voice, "D-don't worry! I'll help you out the best I can! It'll be fine! Let's just, uh… play along, for now."

Day nodded discreetly; unsure what she was getting herself into, she joined Alphys at the podium. It was too tall for either of them to reach the top.

"Oh! H-here! Hold on!" Alphys hit a switch hidden beneath the bottom of the podium, and it shrunk to their size. There were four buttons labeled A through D.

"Now, let's begin! This first question is easy!" A notecard popped out of a slot on his side, and he read it off: "What is the prize for answering a question correctly?"

On the screen behind them, four answer choices arose: money, mercy, new car, or more questions.

"… Um…" Day stared at the screen cluelessly, holding onto the sides of the podium. She was never any good at tests.

"Pst."

She glanced over at Alphys, who "pst"ed again.

"It's D," she whispered, avoiding her gaze, "Pick D."

D read "more questions." It was as good an answer as the others. She pressed the corresponding button.

A blast of rainbow confetti rained down on them.

"Correct!" Mettaton congratulated, "Sounds like you understand how to play, after all! And now, here's your terrific prize!" Another card popped out of his side, "More questions!"

 _Oh boy._

"What," began Mettaton, "Is our wonderful king's full name?"

Day knew this one: Asgore Dreemurr. It was C. She went to press the button, but hesitated. What if she was wrong? Her hand retracted and she looked to Alphys for help.

"Asgore Dreemurr," she confirmed quietly, "It's C."

Day pressed the button, a bit reassured that she'd been right, in the first place.

"That is correct!" More confetti, "What a terrific answer! But enough about you—let's talk about me!" He didn't need a card for this one, "What wonderful ingredients are robots made of?"

"B," Alphys told her only seconds after the answer had popped up. Day complied, selecting "metal and magic."

"Too easy for you, huh?" Mettaton asked, "What a smart cookie! Well then, here's another easy one for you!" He withdrew a card, cleared his robotic throat, then began speaking at a mile a minute, "Two trains, Train A and Train B, simultaneously depart from two stations, Station A and B, appropriately. The two stations are 252.5 miles apart."

Day was already lost, "Wait—"

"Train A travels at 124.7 miles per hour towards Station B, and Train B is heading towards Station A at a whopping 253.5 miles per hour! Astonishing! Now, both trains leave at exactly 10 AM—so, if it's 10:08 now, how long will it be until the two trains pass?"

Day just blinked. She was _horrible_ at math—she could barely multiply past her threes!

"Um…" She stared at the numbers on the screen; they were all enormous. Any one of them could be right.

"Just a second!" Alphys told her, mumbling calculations to herself, "Carry over from the ones place… now…"

"Tick tock, darling!" Mettaton told her, wagging a finger, "Haven't got all day! Only about…" He glanced up at a timer on the screen above, "Fifteen seconds, more like it!"

Day trembled, "Uh—um—" She studied the numbers again, to no avail.

 _Since when can decimals have more than two numbers in them?!_

"I-I don't know—"

"Ah! Of course!" Alphys exclaimed, then hurriedly quieted herself, "Uh—I mean—nothing! Just… d-don't mind me!" Hurriedly, she whispered, "It's D! Pick D!"

Day rushed to comply, but in her haste, she slammed down on the "B" instead.

The podium suddenly unleashed a weak electrical shock, and Day withdrew her hands in, well, _shock._

"Ow!" she blurted, hiding them behind her back.

"Whoops! Incorrect!" Mettaton announced, "That's a shame! Try again, darling!"

This time, Day took care to press the correct button. The confetti made her jump, expecting another jolt.

"That's it! I can honestly say I'm astonished, folks!" He spoke directly into the camera atop the hopping monster, "However, our contestant shouldn't _count_ on her victory just yet!"

A laugh track played, substituting real audience laughter.

"Thank you, thank you! I happen to be quite skilled in improvisations! In my spare time, I hear some good one liners… I get quite a _kick_ out of them…" His tone grew flat and humorless, and staring into the camera, he stressed, "I do not enjoy getting my circuits scrambled by half-witted half-pints. He knows who he is."

Just as soon as it had shifted, his enthusiastic tone returned, "ANYWAY, moving on!"

Day no longer touched the podium.

"A-are you okay?!" Alphys whispered, "You—it didn't hurt too much, d-did it?!"

She shook her head, "No, it—I'm okay."

"Okay, good! S-so long as… you're okay…"

"For your next question—oh, this one should be a breeze!" Mettaton read from the card, taking time to let the suspense build, "Would you… smooch a ghost?"

Day hesitated, "… Wha—er, excuse me?"

"Choose wisely!"

She looked up at the screen; all four options said "Heck yeah!" Alphys shrugged when she was referenced for help.

 _Can there be a wrong answer if they're all the same? Or a right one?_

A timer on the screen was no longer counting down—the number was increasing instead.

"Uh…" Her hand wavered over a button, then another. She again looked to Alphys for the answer.

"Um… m-maybe…" Alphys was just as indecisive, "How about… hm… A! N-no! Don't do A! Try C! NO WAIT! That's no good! We already used C! Um, j-just pick one we haven't used in a while! Th-that would be… uh… let's go with… A! Do A!"

Day obeyed.

"CORRECT!" Mettaton celebrated, "I love it!"

Day brushed the collected confetti from her clothes. Alphys was withdrawing several handfuls of it from her lab coat pockets.

"Sh-shouldn't be too much longer now!" she assured, "… I-I hope…"

"Of course, I'm sure this has all been _much_ too easy for you…" Mettaton said, wheeling over to pinch her cheek, "Hasn't it, darling?"

Day tried to evade him, but was unsuccessful.

"Now, it's time to bring out the big guns and give you a _really_ difficult one!"

She gulped; that didn't sound good.

Mettaton read aloud the card in his hand, "In the dating simulator "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie: Kitty Love," what is Mew Mew's favorite food?"

Alphys couldn't contain her excitement.

"OH! OH I KNOW!" she blurted out, "It's snail ice cream! Because in the fourth chapter, everyone goes to the beach and she buys ice cream for all her friends! But it's snail flavored! So all of them think it's gross and she's the only one who wants it! It's so funny! And it's one of my favorite parts of the game because it's actually a very powerful message about… friendship and…"

Day was staring at her, baffled. Mettaton had begun to wave a finger shamefully.

"Oh dear… Alphys, Alphys, Alphys…" He rolled over, slow and condescending, "You haven't been _helping_ our contestant, have you?"

Alphys went pink, "Uh—I—n-no, I—"

"Human, has she been helping you?"

"Um—I-I… I'm sorry, I…"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOHHH my! You should have told me!" He laughed boisterously, "Well then… if you want to help so badly, Dr. Alphys, then I'll just have to ask a question you'll be _sure_ to know the answer to!"

Alphys' flush increased tenfold, "N-no! Mettaton! D-don't ask ab-about that—"

"AND NOW FOR YOUR FINAL QUESTION!" Mettaton ignored her protests and withdrew his last notecard, "WHO does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?"

Alphys hid her face and made a long, distressed sound.

The screen gave four choices: Undyne, Asgore, the human, and "I don't know."

Day cocked her head to the side in confusion, _why in the world would she have a crush on Undyne? Or the king? Or ME?_

"D-Day!" Alphys sputtered, "D-don't answer this one! P-please! H-he wasn't supposed to… n-not on TV! In front of everyone! N-no…!"

Day gave into her wishes and pressed D; truly, she didn't know.

To their surprise, confetti poured down in torrents.

"That is indeed correct!" Mettaton confirmed, "Dr. Alphys has a crush on… the unknowable!"

Even Alphys seemed confused, "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well it's quite simple! You see, Alphys believes there is someone out there. Someone watching her… someone who thinks she is "cute" and "interesting"!" He added air quotes around the descriptions, then waved sarcastically, "Hello, theoretical person! Dr. Alphys likes you! Too bad you are not real!"

The laugh track returned, sounding derisive. Alphys' blush returned, and she stared at the ground.

"H-hey! We've—I've done extensive research on this! Th-there are alternate universes out there! And… S-someday… maybe I could… s-see them?"

Mettaton scoffed, "You said the exact same thing about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie."

"B-but I really mean—"

"Here, we'll give you benefit of the doubt, for now." Mettaton moved away from the camera and addressed empty space, "Oh hypothetical person! If you really _are_ out there, how about giving us a sign?"

Nothing happened. Truth be told, Day expected as much.

Mettaton turned back to them sharply, seeming satisfied, "That settles things, doesn't it?"

Alphys frowned and didn't raise her gaze.

"Well well well… With Dr. Alphys helping you—" He pinched Day's cheek again, less than affectionately, "The show has no dramatic tension! We can't possibly go on like this! Do you know what this means, darling?"

Day shuddered at the thought of what he might be hinting at, "Um—"

"It means… we'll just have to wait until the next episode!" He released her to face the camera, "Stay tuned for more drama! More romance! And _much_ more bloodshed! Until then, stay beautiful, beauties!" His wheel was replaced with a jet engine, "We're rolling out, Ropey! Get a move on, hot stuff!"

Ropey bounced excitedly, and in a single hop, landed on top of Mettaton.

"Toodles, you two!" His arms retracted inside his body, and without warning, he blasted straight through the ceiling. Confetti as well as ceiling tiles rained down on them.

Then, everything returned to normal, as if the previous episode had never occurred. The screen played video-feeds, the lights shined their stark white.

Alphys stared at the hole in the ceiling, blinking, "Well… that, uh… was certainly… something."

Day nodded, "It was."

"W-well, I'll just… fix that later…" She frowned at the hole in the wall, "That one too. M-maybe, uh, you should go and, uh, continue your journey! I—oh, you have a phone, right?"

"Yes, but…"

"B-but what? Do you not want—oh! You broke it, didn't you? I remember now! You dropped it in the water!"

"Yes… I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, d-don't be embarrassed! Heh, you should see all the stuff I drop! I'm s-so clumsy… always breaking things… Uh, anyway, l-lemme see it! Maybe I can fix it!"

Day retrieved it from her pocket and held it out. Alphys received it and immediately gasped.

"Wh-where'd you get this?" she questioned, "It's absolutely _ancient!_ A phone like this wouldn't even have texting! Wow—here, just… w-wait here a second, please! I'll be right back!" Alphys spun around and dashed towards a door; it slid open at her approach, then closed shortly after.

Sounds of whirring power tools, frantic hammering, and other loud noises came from within. What was she doing in there?

Alphys emerged not even a minute later, and held out something small, "Tada! I upgraded it for you!"

It didn't even look like her phone, anymore. It was much smaller, and the entire front was made up of a screen.

"N-now it can do texting, games, it's got a key-chain… I even signed you up for the underground's number one social media network! So you can call when you need help, so I can lead you around! Now, we're officially friends! Eheheh…"

Her laughed subsided awkwardly and gave way to silence.

"… Heh…" Alphys' eyes darted from side to side, "… Uh… I have to, uh… um… g-go now. G-good luck!" She ducked back inside the room, the door nearly closing on her tail.

Day couldn't help but smile; she liked Dr. Alphys a lot. She was smart. And she acted just as intimidated by everything as Day did.

There was a door at the other end of the lab, so Day left through it, ready to explore the rest of Hotland. She'd gotten no more than a few steps outside when her phone made an odd, short sound. She pulled it out to see what had happened, and the screen read:

*Alphys posted a new message!*

alphysaurus: just realized i didn't watch undyne fight the human! v.v well i know she's unbeatable—i'll ask her about it later! ^.^

Almost immediately, another new message popped up:

alphysaurus: for now i gotta call up the human and guide them! =^.^=

Day giggled at the cat-like face that had been sent, and completely disregarded the mentioning of Undyne. She put her phone away; maybe Alphys would send more messages, later on. For now, she had Hotland to traverse.

* * *

 _ **Yeah... just Alphys and Mettaton intro-material. I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Have a nice rest of the weekend! Feel free to leave any comments or criticisms you may have- I appreciate feedback of any kind!**_

 _ **Next time: perfectly voluntary and friendly friendship.**_


	18. Undyne and Day: Besties?

_***Sigh* Yes, I know that once again, I am late in posting. I'm, sorry about that. I was trying to get it all written down last night... at about 2 in the morning... and was caught.**_

 _ **So, I had my laptop away for... "resisting a-rest." XD**_

 _ **... Heh, I hope that pun makes up for the lateness at least a little bit. I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

*Alphys posted a new message!*

alphysaurus: I HATE USING THE PHONE I DON'T WANNA DO THIS LMAO! ^.^

Day was standing idle on a slow-moving conveyor belt, waiting for the supposed call. Alphys had been posting messages for the past five minutes about how nervous she was to call Day. Why? Why was she so afraid? Day didn't recall having acted especially horrifying…

On the conveyor belt across from her, a miniature volcano monster was having the time of its life, riding along with enthusiasm.

"wheeeeEEEEEEEEeee…!" Its voice grew louder, then faded the moment it passed.

Her phone sounded again, and Day read the message:

alphysaurus: omg i've had my claw over the last digit for 5 minutes now! omg i'm just gonna do it i'm just gonna call!

Day waited. She came to the end of the conveyor belt, and still, nothing happened. Needless to say, she was confused by Alphys' strange behavior.

It didn't take long for the rock of Hotland to be broken up by more odd machinery. The path ended suddenly, and on the edge, a metal square was embedded in the ground. Day approached curiously, studying it.

The surface was worn down, rusty, and filled with holes—but they didn't seem accidental. The holes were evenly spaced and about the same size all over. She felt a blast of hot air across her face and discovered that it was coming from those slits.

Day suspended a hand over the square, and a few seconds later, another gust of hot air shot forth, strong enough to blow her back a bit.

After briefly admiring the power of the odd vent, Day realized that unless she found a way across the gap in the path, her excursion of Hotland would end there.

 _Maybe if I get a running start…_ she began to consider, but the thought was quickly shot down; any slip up on her part could result in a one-way ticket to the lava below.

Day glanced back at the hissing vent… and suddenly had an idea. She stepped onto the square, waiting for the next blast of air. Almost immediately, she had second thoughts.

 _What if this doesn't work? If it's too strong, I might miss the other end of the path—but if it's not strong enough, I won't make it all the way across the gap—maybe I'd better think of something else—_

The vent didn't allow her time to reconsider; it unleashed a gust of air, flinging Day off her feet and flying through the air. She yelped and closed her eyes, certain this was the end.

Day hit the rocky pathway instead of splashing headlong into the lava. Her relief almost made the impact hurt less.

"Ah!" the volcano monster on the conveyor belts cried, having seen this stunning display, "So! Graceful!"

Day wasn't sure how to respond, but the monster had been whisked off in the other direction before she could think of something to say. She turned back to the path and spotted yet another gap, its air vent positioned appropriately.

She got the hang of the vents fairly quickly. But it didn't in any way reduce her fear—she slammed her eyes shut every time she jumped, unwilling to look at the deadly lava.

Some vents had red arrows painted on them, but this only seemed to be when more than one vent was present. The path was now less of a certain, straight line than it was a jumble of platforms, branching out in several directions. Day had no idea if she was going the right way—she wished Alphys would call to help her.

In the middle of a jump, she got her wish; Day's phone rang. The moment her feet touched down, she hurried to answer it.

"Hello?"

Day was met with a monotone hum. Had she hit the wrong button?

Seconds later, another call came. Day took extra precautions to ensure she answered correctly, this time.

"Hello?"

"Uh, h-hi! It's—uh, Dr. Alphys here!" squeaked the voice on the other end.

"Hi," Day greeted.

"H-hi! S-so, uh, how's it going? Are you—oh! Did you—you didn't need help at the VTS's, did you?"

"The… excuse me?"

"VTS: Ventilation Transportation Stations! We inst—uh, they were installed s-so that monsters could travel over the, uh, holes in the path!"

"Oh... I think I figured out how to use them."

"Oh, you did? W-wow! Great job! Uh, I-I know they can be a little, um, intimidating when you first use them! Trust me, I-I know! B-but, uh… y-you get used to it! Eventually!" There was an awkward pause, "S-so, anyways… um… j-just keep walking! Uh, th-there's a place up a little more that I should explain some! It's just a… just a little dangerous… b-but don't worry! I'll help you out!"

Day nodded, "Okay, thank you."

"S-sure! No problem! Um, I'll—I'll call you when you get over there! Uh—so yeah—um, bye!" She hung up quickly. Not even a minute later, another message popped up:

alphysaurus: OMG I DID IT! claws haven't shook like that since the time undyne called me to ask about the weather! ^.^

Day followed Alphys' instructions and headed forward, trying to keep to a straight path as much as possible.

Finally, she landed on a long, narrow strip. Blue and orange lights were flashing wildly, catching her attention. They were being projected in thin beams and moved across the strip in all different directions. The only thing Day could equate it to was a very complex mix of hopscotch and jump rope.

Her phone rang again; Alphys was calling.

"Okay, so the blue lasers—" She was getting ahead of herself, "Uh, I-I mean: Alphys here! N-now, the lasers are really easy to work around… uh, s-so the blue lasers won't hurt if you don't move when you're touching them—"

"Oh!" Day realized, "Blue stop signs!"

There was silence on Alphys' end.

"… Um… wh-what?"

"I meant—"

"Aren't… uh, stop signs usually… uh, red?"

"Yeah—yes, there are! I was just saying…" She focused on the lasers, "Sorry, never mind."

"… Okay… well… anyway, you d-don't want to move through the blue ones—I mean, you can go _through_ them, but—but I mean, you can't move while you do! Uh, get it?"

"… I think so?"

"Cool! Uh, now… the orange ones are the opposite. Um… you have to be moving and they… they won't… uh, move through those, okay?"

"Okay…?"

"Alright!" There was a long pause, "… Well, um, bye!"

"Wait! Can you—"

Alphys had already hung up.

Day just stared at the multicolored lasers. They hummed menacingly and continued to whiz by.

Well. Now was as good a time to pass them as any.

The first laser was stationary and glowing orange: _just keep moving through this one._ Day approached hesitantly, but halted. If she did that in the middle of the laser beam, then…

… Maybe it would help if she passed quickly; that way, she would have less time to stop if she got cold feet.

She stood within a few inches of the beam, then in a single motion, stepped through to the other side.

Immediately afterwards, two blue lasers headed towards her, and Day froze appropriately. They passed through her once each, then again, returning to the direction they'd come from. Day advanced across the strip, jerking to a halt when the blue lasers returned. She crossed another orange laser—

And then, in rapid succession, three more approached. She froze at the blues, and was faced with a sudden orange—Day managed to move through in the nick of time.

A final orange laser signaled the end of the dangerous strip. Day leapt through and, since there was no one around, whooped victoriously. It was over! She'd done it!

In the middle of her celebration, Day nearly missed the ring of her phone.

"Hello?!" she answered frantically, "Sorry, I didn't hear the phone at first—"

"Day! You're finally answering your phone again! I was afraid you'd gotten lost!"

"Papyrus?" Day couldn't help but beam, "Papyrus!"

"Yes! It is I, the Great Papyrus! Calling you, my best human friend! I'm calling because I have a great idea!"

"You do? What is it?"

"Nyeheh! That's the best part—for now, I am keeping it a secret! That will make it even greater, when you finally discover what it is!"

Day was intrigued, "Oh?"

"All you have to do is come to Waterfall! Where are you now, anyway? I've been calling you over and over for quite some time now, but you haven't been answering!"

"Oh—I'm sorry! I was—I dropped the phone into the water and it stopped working—Alphys fixed it for me. I'm in Hotland."

"Ah. Hotland." Papyrus didn't seem nearly as enthralled as before, "Not one of my favorite lands."

"Why not?"

"Have you SEEN the puzzles there?! UGH! They're terrible! I mean: steam vents? Conveyor belts? Deadly lasers?! What kind of puzzle is that?! Not a very fun one!" He scoffed, "Invisible electric mazes and spikes make _much_ better puzzles, don't you think?"

She glanced back at the lasers, still humming menacingly.

"Yes."

"I'm so glad you agree! Anyway, you can get back to Waterfall from Hotland very easily! Just get a ride from the riverperson!"

"… Who?"

"The riverperson! They have a boat in the river that goes through all the underground! Haven't you seen them before?"

"I don't think so?"

"Well, usually you can find them by going to the front of that weird lab in Hotland and taking the path towards the river! It shouldn't be too hard! I'll wait for you in Waterfall!"

"Thank you. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"See you then! The sooner you get here, the sooner you get to know what the big surprise it! Nyeheheh!"

He hung up.

 _Well, back to Waterfall, I guess._

Day turned to begin her new sidequest—

And realized that once again, she'd have to brave the line of deadly lasers.

 _… Ugh._

* * *

Day was dragging her feet by the time she reached the path Papyrus had mentioned. The "hot" in "Hotland" was definitely warranted.

She trudged down a set of shallow stairs to find a plain, stone dock. She could practically feel the coldness of the water by the crisp air around it—a welcomed change from the intense heat radiated by the surrounding lava.

Someone was humming, so Day searched for the source—and froze when she found it.

A simple brown boat bobbed gently in the river, captained by an appropriately simple figure. It was shrouded in a dark cloak with the hood pulled over its face; every inch was hidden in shadows.

Slowly, it turned to face her.

"… Hello," it greeted in an odd voice, "I am the riverman. Or… am I the riverwoman? I suppose it does not matter."

For a moment, neither spoke. The only sound came from the rushing water.

Eventually, Day made an attempt to further the conversation; she waved meekly.

"Hello…" Her voice trailed off near the end.

"Hello," it repeated, "I love to ride in my boat. There is no greater joy, for any riverperson." Its head seemed to tilt quizzically, "Would you care to join me?"

Day nodded wordlessly.

"Very well then. Climb aboard."

She stepped into the wooden boat, which seemed surprisingly steady under her additional weight.

"Where would you like to go?" the riverperson asked her.

"Can… can you take me to Waterfall, please?"

"I can." The riverperson turned to face the front of the boat, "Then we're off."

Without any means Day could spot, the boat lurched forward on its own, then settled into a more leisurely pace. Water sloshed against the sides, so Day kept to the center of her seat, unsure how deep the river ran.

The riverperson stared ahead, completely at ease, beginning to hum. It didn't seem to mind if Day heard.

"Tra la la…" It continued, still in an odd voice, "Tra la la-la la…"

After a few minutes, its humming halted abruptly. It seemed to turn over a shoulder, staring at her with whatever lied inside the cloak.

Day shifted uncomfortably, waiting for it to speak.

"… Beware the man who speaks in hands."

Silence. Then just as swiftly, it returned to face the front and resumed humming.

Day was confused, "Um… excuse me?"

"Tra la la…"

"I… I don't understand what you said. Could you… maybe tell me what you mean?"

"La la la… tra la…"

"Who… who are you talking about?"

"Tra la la…"

Day frowned; it seemed she wouldn't get an explanation. She sat in silence for the remainder of the ride. The riverperson didn't offer any more cryptic warnings.

They pulled up to another stone dock—where Papyrus was waiting eagerly for her arrival. The moment they came into view, he broke into a grin and began to wave wildly.

"Oho! The human arrives!"

Day could hardly wait until the boat docked; she leapt out and ran for her friend, who scooped her up in a _bone crushing_ embrace.

"Ah! I see you are happy to see me!" Papyrus observed, "That is a lucky coincidence! For I, the Great Papyrus, am also very happy to see you!"

She giggled, indeed immensely grateful.

"Now, about that very big and secret surprise I mentioned earlier…" Papyrus was "nyeheh"ing in anticipation, "I'm going to keep it secret a little longer! Trust me, you'll be _so_ surprised! Undyne will too!"

Day froze, "Un-Undyne?"

" _Oh no!_ " He blurted, "I almost ruined the surprise! Human Day, forget I said anything about Undy—I mean, no one! Forget I ever mentioned her! LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Papyrus lifted her onto his shoulders, but quickly removed her, "NYEH! How rude of me! I forgot to ask you if it was okay! So, let me try again: Day, may I please put you on my shoulders? We can get to the surprise much faster that way!"

She nodded in approval.

"Alrighty then!" He replaced her on his shoulders, "Let's go find that secret surprise!"

Papyrus flew through Waterfall at top speed. Perhaps Day should have questioned him about his mentioning of Undyne… but frankly, she was just taking the opportunity to enjoy being tall, again.

In no time at all, they entered the same area as Napstablook's house, but traveled a bit further in, taking an inlet near the wall. The house within was just as unique as Napstablook's; it was shaped like an enormous, round fish head.

Maybe it was just the fact that the door looked to be comprised of giant, razor-sharp teeth, but Day had a bad feeling about this.

Papyrus removed her from his shoulders and set her gently on the ground, kneeling down to be at eye-level.

"Well human Day—as you have no doubt been eagerly awaiting an explanation, I will reveal to you the surprise!" He extended his arms to gesture back to the house, "I, the Great Papyrus, have come up with a masterful and fail-proof plan to make you and Undyne great friends! Surprise!"

Day's arms rose subconsciously, as if to shield her from the imminent threat. She stared at the house in horror of what lied inside.

"Now human, there's no need to be afraid!" Papyrus told her, "You see, I came up with this idea only a little while ago! I was waiting for Sans to come back to Snowdin to help me with the puzzles, and when he did, he told me he had been with Undyne! Apparently she was chasing a human through Waterfall, but they ran all the way to Hotland! Since she is very… well, fishy, Undyne doesn't go into Hotland a lot! Sans said something happened, and he had to bring her back to her house! Since the human got away, I figured that she must not be very happy—so, I came up with the brilliant idea of bringing you here! Seeing another human will surely cheer her up!"

Day was not convinced; she continued to eye the house fearfully.

Papyrus hesitated before continuing, "… I know the two of you may not have been able to see eye to—er, _eyes,_ but I have a good feeling about this! If you just give each other another chance and make a fresh start, I'm sure you can be friends! And you don't have to worry; as long as I, the Great Papyrus am by your side, you will be safe from harm!" He smiled, almost coaxingly, "Please?"

More than almost anything, Day wanted to hightail it out of there and avoid any further confrontation with Undyne. But there was a single exception: it was, at all costs, not disappointing Papyrus.

Day lowered her hands, wringing them behind her back.

Then, she nodded once, "… Okay."

Papyrus broke into a grin, "Wowie, you will?! This is sure to work!" He rushed over to the front door, "Come on, Day! There's no time to waste!"

Oh, Day could've quite happily waited longer. Despite her wishes, she unwillingly joined him, making sure to put the skeleton in between her and the house.

Brimming with anticipation, Papyrus beamed down at her, "Well, like Sans likes to say—here goes nothing!" He knocked on the door. Day held her breath.

For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened.

The teeth parted suddenly, and Undyne emerged. Day clung onto Papyrus' leg.

She didn't seem to notice Day in the slightest; Undyne smiled friendlily at Papyrus, nowhere near as menacing as before. She'd shed the bulky suit of armor, dressed in a black tank-shirt and plain blue jeans.

"Hi Papyrus!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi Undyne!" Papyrus replied, "Sans told me that he was with you a little while ago! Is everything alright?"

Undyne scoffed, "Course it is! Just didn't think about charging through Hotland in that damn suit of armor… the thing weighs like, a hundred pounds!" She leaned against the door frame, groaning, "My head was _killing_ me, a couple minutes ago… and your brother pelting me with puns didn't help!"

Papyrus made a similar sound, empathizing, "Are you okay now, though?"

"I told you I was!" She grinned and punched him in the arm, in a playful manner, "It's gonna take more than a little _heat_ to keep me down!"

"Well I know that!" Papyrus assured, covertly rubbing his arm, "Ow."

"And since that's the case," she continued, "You ready for your extra private, one-on-one training for today?"

"You bet I am!" he replied, "And to make it even better, I brought a friend!"

Day had a bad feeling that was her introduction. She clung to Papyrus' leg even tighter.

Unfortunately, he seemed oblivious to her utter horror; Papyrus simply reached down and pried her off, then with an encouraging scoot, nudged her forward. Day trembled, staring up at Undyne, frozen.

At first, Undyne actually smiled, then bent over to get a better look.

"Hi," she greeted, "I don't think we've met—"

Her gaze turned cold. Day had been recognized.

Undyne stared at her intently, unmoving. The corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly, but prompted no attack—Day fully expected one.

Instead, Undyne returned her attention to Papyrus. When she spoke again, her voice was tense.

"Why don't. You two. Come in?" she offered stiffly, then stepped aside to allow them entrance.

Papyrus offered Day a grin and loudly whispered, "You see? I told you she'd be happy to see you!"

Day noticed that the door frame Undyne had been clutching was now crushed. She swallowed heavily; it took all her determination to follow Papyrus inside the house.

She entered a large room… and one she hadn't quite expected, judging by the house's exterior. The floor was tiled a pale blue and yellow, and wallpaper of the same blue was plastered all around, decorated with small pink fish. The back wall was covered in cabinets, a stove, and a fridge: the only other furniture seemed to be a plain wooden table in the center.

Undyne was watching them both—specifically Day. Her eye was narrowed dangerously. Day made sure to keep as close to Papyrus as he would allow.

"… So," she eventually spoke up, regaining her more patient tone of voice, clearly directed at Papyrus, "Are you ready to start your training for today, Papyrus?"

"You bet I am!" he exclaimed, "Just as soon as I take care of one quick and tiny little thing! In the meantime, you two should have fun on your own!"

Without further explanation, Papyrus made a mad dash for the single window of the house. With the grace and poise of a skilled gymnast, he flew into the air and crashed right through the glass, shattering it to pieces.

Undyne sighed in exasperation, "Papyrus, not again…" She rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to fight off the remains of her heat-induced headache, and caught Day staring. "What are you looking at?"

Day couldn't answer; she just shook her head furiously.

 _Why did Papyrus leave me alone with her?! She's gonna—she'll spear me again!_

Undyne glared at her, crossing her arms devoutly, "… So why _are_ you here, anyway? To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further?! Is that it?!"

She had begun to advance slightly, so Day backed up a step, starting to shake.

"N-n—"

"What?!"

"N-no ma'am!" Day blurted, shaking her head again to emphasize her point.

"Well, then why are you here?!" Undyne demanded again.

Day was at a loss for words, "Uh—I—I j-just—"

Suddenly, Undyne's expression shifted, "Wait. Wait, I get it…" She grinned, but not in a pleasing way, "You think you're gonna make friends with me, right? That I'm just gonna want to be your friend, just like that?"

The words felt heavily patronizing, and Day began to feel embarrassed as well as afraid. She tried to stammer out an excuse, but couldn't form the words.

Undyne just cackled, "You do think it! You really do! Oh, how _delightful!_ I accept, of course! Why, let's all celebrate by frolicking through the flowery fields of friendship together!" She sneered shortly after, "NOT! Why the heck would I be friends with you?! I could've burnt up right there in Hotland, and you were planning to just slip away, weren't you?"

"N-no—" Day tried to argue, but was interrupted.

"You're the enemy here!" Undyne snapped, "The one standing in the way of everyone's hopes and dreams! Why, if you weren't my houseguest, I'd beat you up right now! So, that being the case—" A spear materialized in her fist, and she stood positioned to attack, "— _get out of my house!_ "

Day had retreated all the way to the wall beside the door, and was flattened against it in fear. A hand had flown up to her arm, clutching it tightly; she was about to have a lot worse than a small scratch.

"Oh dear!"

Both girls heard the voice and turned their attention to the window. Papyrus' head poked up just above the bottom of the frame, looking forlorn.

"Dang!" he lamented again, "I thought Undyne could be friends with _anybody!_ Even a human! But… *sigh* I guess I overestimated her skills…" Papyrus shook his head in disappointment, "I guess she's just not up to the _challenge!_ "

Papyrus offered Day a highly exaggerated wink, then once again, dove out of sight.

"Challenge?" Undyne questioned, "What?! Papyrus, what the heck are you talking about?!" She rushed to the window to demand an answer from him, "Papyrus! PAPYRUS!"

With little success, she grunted and faced Day again, "Darn it... what, he thinks I can't be friends with you?! FUHUHU! What a joke!" Her spear had vanished into thin air, and she laughed with hands on her hips, "I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day! I'll show him!"

It didn't seem like Undyne was planning to spear her, now… but her intensity kept Day rooted to the spot, still trembling.

Undyne suddenly pointed to her, "LISTEN UP, HUMAN!"

Day yelped slightly, flattening further against the wall.

"YOU'D BETTER BE LISTENING!" she demanded, "FIRST OF ALL, HUMAN… I'd better learn your name, so toss it to me!"

She struggled to find her voice, "D-D—Day?"

"DAY!" she filled in, "Now you listen to me! We're not just gonna be friends! _We_ are going to be… BESTIES!" Undyne cackled loudly, "I'll make you like me SO much, you won't be able to think of anyone else! IT'S THE PERFECT REVENGE!"

Undyne was going to get revenge on her… by being friends with her? Day was confused. And as much as she hated to admit it (Day wouldn't _dare_ tell it to Undyne's face), she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to become friends with Undyne. She _had_ tried to kill her. Several times. Plus she was very loud. And scary. Immensely scary. And it was because of the fear Undyne instilled that Day voiced none of these concerns.

In the meantime, Undyne had calmed, folded her hands politely, and was beaming at Day.

"Now," she began, her voice suddenly more controlled, "Why don't you have a seat, oh bestie of mine?" Undyne made an elaborate, sweeping gesture to the wooden table (where Papyrus' theatrics were often genuine, Undyne's felt heavily sarcastic).

Day hurried to comply, dreading the consequences should she make Undyne lose her patience, again. She sat on a small wooden stool that accompanied the table, keeping her legs as close to her body as possible, hands folded in her lap.

"Comfortable?"

Day nodded quickly.

"Good!" Undyne was still beaming; it seemed forced, "Now that you're settled, I'll get you something to drink! You must be _parched_ , after running through Hotland!" She turned towards the cabinets, and Day distinctly heard her mutter, "Hell knows _I_ was."

Undyne shuffled through the cabinets and fridge, pulling out a variety of items and setting them along the countertop. She again faced Day, the tight smile on her face.

"So, what would you like?" she asked.

Day began to stand to approach the counter—

A spear suddenly split the table down the middle, and with a booming "CRACK!" it collapsed entirely.

"DON'T GET UP!" Undyne roared, "YOU'RE THE GUEST! SIT DOWN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!"

Day was nowhere to be seen.

"… The hell?" she wondered aloud, "Where'd she run off to _this time?_ " Undyne went over to the table to inspect the remains, and soon found her "bestie."

Day had ducked underneath an upright piece of the table, hunched over her knees. She was visibly shaking and squeezing one of her arms tightly.

Undyne raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing? I didn't even hit you!" She reconsidered, calming for a brief moment, "… Right?"

Barely able to respond, Day nodded.

"Well then what the heck are you doing underneath the table?!"

"S-s-orry— I d-din't m-mean—"

"Alright, alright!" Undyne cut off the apology before it could fully take shape, "Don't worry about it! Just get outta there!"

Day crawled out, regaining her place on the stool. Her trembling did not diminish.

"Uh… here." Undyne pried the spear from her splintered table, "Just use this to point to what you want. You don't have to get up that way."

She held it out, and for a moment, Day remained motionless.

"… Well?!" Undyne blurted, "Take it! It's not gonna hurt you!"

Day reached out hesitantly, and Undyne dropped the spear in her grasp. To her surprise, the weapon wasn't nearly as heavy as she'd expected. It was warm, and Day could feel a surging power like electricity in her palms.

"W-wow—" Her voice was tight from fear, so she cleared her throat, "Um—it's really—l-light."

"Well it better be!" Undyne commented, "I gotta hurl a bunch of those one after the other!"

She had a good _point._ Day withheld a grin—Sans would've been proud of the pun.

Day took a moment to survey the beverages placed on the counter. There was a fat yellow bottle of what looked like soda, a plain brown box, and another stack of boxes with pictures of flowers on them. Tea, maybe? Day had never been allowed much soda; everyone told her that it would make her teeth fall out before she was a teenager. So she steered clear of the bottle. She wasn't quite sure what the plain brown box held, so the used the spear and pointed to the floral boxes.

"Tea, huh?" Undyne asked, sounding a little surprised, "Sure thing—coming right up!"

As she passed, the spear simply disintegrated from Day's hands, making her flinch back in shock. Undyne barely noticed, picking up the tea boxes.

"Which do you want?" She held up all three in a single hand, "Green, yellow, or orange?"

"Yellow, please."

"Got it." Undyne carelessly tossed the others aside, withdrew a teapot from above the stove, and set to work.

Day awkwardly studied her shoes, not one to start conversations. She glanced into a corner of the room and spotted something she'd completely missed from before; a piano.

 _That's funny,_ she wondered, _I never thought of Undyne to be the sort of person who would like instruments._ _More like sports and weapons and stuff…_

Undyne set the filled pot onto the stovetop and reclined against the counter, "It'll take a second for the water to start boiling."

Day nodded, and glanced once again at the piano.

Undyne followed her gaze, "… Oh, you like that?"

"Y-yes ma'am," she replied, almost a whisper, "D-do you—um, do y-you—play?"

"Nah…" Undyne ran a hand through her ponytail, "Just keep it here for show. Nothing brings a room together like a piano you can't play, right?"

She was grinning in a wry sort of way, and it took Day a moment to realize she was probably joking.

"I'm kidding!" she blurted when the sarcasm seemed to fly right over Day's head, "Why the heck would I have a piano if I couldn't play it? Otherwise there'd be a whole shelf of spears there, trust me! Maybe throw in a hammer—YEAH! A hammer would be awesome! I bet Gerson's got a spare one lying around somewhere! I totally have to ask him later!"

Behind her, the teapot had begun to whistle shrilly, alerting her that the tea was ready. Undyne scoured the cabinets for a cup, and after filling it nearly to the brim, brought it to what was left of the table.

"Here we go—careful, it's hot!" she warned.

Day held the cup cautiously, deterred by the torrents of steam that rose from the liquid's surface.

Undyne made a noise of exasperation, "It's not THAT hot! Just drink it already!"

She obeyed, taking a timid sip—the tea practically scaled her tongue, but the burn subsided soon enough. It had an interesting flavor—not especially sweet. It was a bit sour, in a pungent sort of way, yet not disgusting. Day took another small sip, beginning to enjoy the drink.

"It's pretty good, right?" Undyne assumed, "Nothing but the best for my _absolutely precious friend!"_

Her mocking tone had returned, so Day silently drank her tea, unsure how to respond.

Undyne sat across from her on another stool, "… Hey, you know, it's kind of funny you chose _that_ tea. "Golden Flower Tea." That's Asgore's favorite kind."

Day paused, "… It is?"

"Yeah." Her face had begun to shift, "Actually, now that I think about it… you kind of remind me of him."

"I-I do?"

"Sure do." Undyne split into a grin, "You're both total weeines!"

Day couldn't help but smile, herself. "Oh."

"Okay, so you're both _sort of_ weenies," Undyne compromised. She seemed to be remembering something, but not yet sure if she wanted to voice the thought.

Eventually, she put an elbow against a roughly horizontal section of the table and slouched comfortably, "You know, as hard as it is to believe, I used to be a pretty hot headed kid."

Day attempted to appear surprised.

"This one time, to prove I was the strongest, I even tried to fight Asgore." She huffed and gave Day a deadpan look, "Emphasis on _tried."_

"What happened?"

"I couldn't land a single blow on him, that's what happened!" she shouted, "And to make it worse, the whole time I'm giving it all I got—he refused to fight back! Ugh… I was so humiliated…" Her frustration soon faded, "Of course afterwards, he apologized and everything… and he said something super goofy." Undyne tried to imitate his voice, making her own much deeper, "Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?"

She scoffed, "I didn't expect that out of him, I can tell you that. Of course, I said yes. So from then on, he trained me. Everything I know about fighting, I learned from that big guy!"

Day took another sip of tea to hide her worried expression; she could barely escape Undyne, without help. What chance would she have against someone even _stronger?_

"One day," Undyne continued, "During practice, I _finally_ managed to knock him down! And… yeesh, did I feel bad. But he was just beaming! I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked!" She laughed, clearly enjoying this, "Anyway, long story short, he kept training me… and I wound up being captain of the Royal Guard! So now I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight!"

Her enthusiastic volume then sank, "Like… uh, Papyrus."

Day perked up at the mention of her friend.

Undyne was rubbing the back of her neck, glancing away, "But… to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if… I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard."

Before Day could question this, Undyne suddenly snapped, "And don't you dare go telling him I said that! Got it?!"

She nodded, "I-I won't!"

"You'd better not…" She warned, "Look, it's not that he's weak. Hell no, that's not it—he's actually pretty freaking tough! Did you fight him?"

"Well, I—y-yes, a little bit."

"You saw how tough he is, right?"

"Yes."

"So you get it! He's strong as is, don't get me wrong! It's just that… well… oh come on: he's just too innocent and nice! I mean, look! He was _supposed_ to capture you! And _what_ does he do? He ends up being friends with you instead!"

Day thought about this, "… I guess so."

Undyne shook her head, "I could never send him into battle… he'd get ripped into little smiling shreds."

The imagery made Day stare down at her empty teacup, trying to block it out. Undyne was right. If humans really were as strong as monsters seemed to believe, and one decided to fight against Papyrus…

 _He wouldn't hurt them_ , Day realized, _Even if they hurt him, first. He'd try to help them, just like he helped me. And if they didn't want his help… then…_

She just blinked, beginning to feel heat at her neck. As much as Papyrus longed to be part of the Royal Guard… Day was beginning to side with Undyne, instead.

"That's why I started teaching him how to cook," Undyne added, "You know? So, uh, maybe he can do something else with his life… something a lot safer. Keep 'em out of all that dangerous stuff."

There was a heavy silence between them.

"… Oh, sorry!" Undyne realized, "I was talking for a while, huh? You out of tea?"

Day nodded.

"I got it," she offered, standing and returning to the over.

Halfway there, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait a second." She slowly turned to face Day, "Papyrus… his cooking lesson! _He's supposed to be having that right now!_ And if he's not here to have it—OF COURSE!" Undyne practically leapt over to Day, "YOU'LL have to have it for him!"

"M-me?"

"That's right! Nothing has brought me and Papyrus closer than cooking!" She was smiling widely, teeth flashing with passion, "So obviously, that means if I give you his lesson… we'll become closer than you can even imagine!"

Without warning, Undyne slipped an arm around Day's middle, hoisting her off the stool. The next moment, they were soaring through the air above the table—Day didn't even have time to cry out.

Undyne plopped her down beside the counter, then dashed to the fridge and emerged with an armful of vegetables.

"Let's start with the sauce!" She dropped the ingredients onto the bare counter, "Envision these vegetables as your worst enemy! Now, channel that rage and pound them into dust with your fist!"

Day stared at the vegetables. Her worst enemy? She drew a blank; there wasn't anyone in mind she particularly wanted to pound into dust…

She reached out, summoned her determination… and managed to gently pet a tomato.

"OH COME ON!" Undyne snapped, "STOP PETTING THE ENEMY!"

"S-sorry!"

"HERE!" Undyne drew back her fist, "Lemme show you how it's done!"

She pummeled the innocent vegetables—and the juices splattered over both of them.

Day stared up at Undyne; she stared down, grinning. Tomato juice stained her teeth.

"Uh, we'll just scoop all this into a bowl, later." She grabbed Day by the arm and dragged her over to the oven, "But for now—" After some blind searching, Undyne slammed a giant pot down on the stove, "We add the noodles! Normally, homemade noodles are the best—but I just by store brand! THEY'RE THE CHEAPEST!"

As soon as she found the box of dried noodles, Undyne dunked the contents, box included, into the pot with a loud whoop.

"YEAH!" she exclaimed, "Time to stir the pasta! This one's on you, Day!"

"On me—?"

Before she could question further, Day was handed a large spoon and hoisted above the oven to where she could reach the pot.

"You ready?" Undyne asked, "As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir, the better it is! So stir the hell out of it!"

"Okay…" Day uncertainly began to mix the dried pasta around in the pot, breaking noodles with every touch. Weren't they supposed to add water first?

"Stir harder!" Undyne instructed. Day did her best to comply, mixing faster, the spoon clunking loudly against the sides of the pot.

"HARDER!" Undyne demanded. Even more fiercely, Day obeyed.

After only a few seconds, Undyne groaned and put her back on the ground, "UGH! Here, just let me do it!"

A spear materialized directly above them, then in rapid succession, began to stab the poor pot repeatedly. Everything was crushed into a dented mess. Day edged back, but had to admit she was having a little fun.

"Alright!" Undyne continued, "Now for the final step; turn up the heat!" Again, she lifted Day within arm's reach of the oven's dials, "Let the stove symbolize your burning passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into a blazing fire! You ready?!"

Day nodded in confirmation, "Ready!"

"Don't hold anything back!" Undyne told her, "Do it!"

As she instructed, Day began to turn up the dial, increasing the heat. A small red flame began to kindle around the bottom of the pot, burning steadily.

"Hotter!"

Day kept turning the dial, and the flame rose accordingly.

"HOTTER!"

With a sudden burst of daring recklessness, Day spun the dial to its highest setting.

"Wait—" Undyne suddenly cut in, "That's too—"

The pot burst into white hot flames, and Day was jerked away from the fire by a matter of seconds of its ignition.

Day stared at the mess she'd made… and ever so slowly, turned up her head to gauge Undyne's reaction.

Undyne looked a bit bewildered, but was still grinning.

"… Heh… Ah man…" She glanced down at Day, "No wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking." Day was set down with much more consideration, this time, "Now THAT'S what I call a fiery passion! YEE-AH!" Undyne pumped both fists into the air... then came a pause, only interrupted by the crackling fire, "So… what's next, bestie? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?"

Day didn't answer, distracted by the now roaring fire.

"… Oh, who am I kidding?" Undyne sighed, "I really screwed this up didn't I?"

"No you—"

"I can't force you to like me; some people just don't get along with each other, and that's how it is."

The fire had begun to spread from the pot to the cabinets around it, making Day panic slightly.

"Um, Miss Undyne—"

"I understand if you feel that way about me," Undyne continued, oblivious to the growing destruction, "And if we can't be friends… that's okay."

"I—Miss Undyne, maybe you should—"

"Because, if we're not friends…" Slowly, her face regained the fierce expression Day was all too familiar with, "Then that means… I can destroy you without regret!"

Day's heart sprung into her throat— _no! Not again!_

Undyne summoned a spear, and wielding it with both hands, faced off with Day.

"I've been defeated…" she muttered, then growing louder, continued, "My house is in shambles… I even failed to befriend you. That's IT. I don't care if you're my guest anymore! One final rematch! All out on both sides!" In a fit of passion, she roared, "IT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE!"

Day retreated, unwilling to fight.

"Now come on!" Undyne demanded, "Hit me with all you've got!"

She couldn't speak—Day only shook her head.

Undyne groaned, "Not this again! Come on!"

She shook her head again, "N-no."

"Come ON, punk!" Undyne was clearly becoming impatient, "Just fight me already!"

"I c-can't."

"Why not?" she grinned almost tauntingly, "Afraid to lose?"

Day swallowed, "W-well—yes—b-but—"

"But WHAT?!"

"B-but—I don't—I might- I-I can't."

"JUST FIGHT ME!"

Day shook terribly, but kept her arms devoutly at her side. She stared down at the ground, prepared for what her refusal might invoke.

"N-no." She swallowed, "I-I can't. I w-won't hurt you."

Undyne froze. She stared at Day.

"… That's it?" Undyne waited expectantly for Day to admit to the joke, "So you're just not gonna fight me?"

Day shook her head.

"You're gonna stand there and just take it? Without fighting back? Nothing?!"

Again, Day shook her head.

"… You just can't muster any intent to hurt me, can you?"

"N-no." As an afterthought, she added sincerely, "I'm sorry, I know th-that's what you want, b-but- I c-can't. I'm s-sorry."

Undyne scoffed, "You're apologizing for not being able to hurt me."

…

Slowly, a reflective smile spread across her face.

"… Heh. You know what?" In a single motion, Undyne dropped her spear. It clattered to the floor, then faded away.

"I don't really want to hurt you, either," she admitted. "At first, I hated your stupid sappy saccharine shtick… but… you know what? You remind me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you're not just some wimpy loser—" Undyne broke into a full-blown grin, "You're a wimpy loser with a big heart!"

She was getting praise… from _Undyne._ Day had never felt so honored.

"You're just… like him." There was a pause. "… Listen, Day. It seems like you and Asgore are fated to fight. I can feel it. But knowing him, he probably doesn't want to—and I know you don't, either."

"Then… what do I do?" Day asked.

"Just talk to him," she suggested, "I'm sure you can persuade him to let you go home. I mean, sooner or later, some mean human's bound to fall down here, right? And when they do, I'll take _their_ soul, instead! … Makes sense, right?"

Day nodded solemnly, "I think so."

"Sweet," she replied, "Oh yeah; and if you DO hurt Asgore… I'll _take the human souls… cross the barrier… and kick your butt!_ " The seriousness of the claim was broken up by a peal of laughter, "That's what friends are for!"

It managed to evoke a giggle from Day, "Uh-huh!"

Undyne laughed again… and only now noticed the state of the room around them.

"… Wow, that sure spread fast… What do you say we get the hell out of this flaming house?"

Day too realized the full extent of the damage, "Oh my—I'm so sorry about this!"

"Are you kidding?" Undyne was on her way out the door, "This was frickin' fun! Now get out here- I don't want you going down with the rest of the house!"

"S-sorry!" Day ran after her, "I'm so sorry!"

"Yeah yeah," Undyne waved it away, "We should really hang out again sometime; that was the most fun I've had in a while!"

Part of the house's roof crumbled and caved in, interrupting their conversation.

Undyne cringed, "Uh, but maybe next time, we should do it… somewhere else."

Day was absolutely drowning in guilt, "M-Miss Undyne, I am SO SORRY about your house-!"

"STOP APOLOGIZING, ALREADY!" she snapped, "It's fine! Yeesh!"

"Are y-you sure?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"I'm so sor—"

"I GET IT!" She covered her ears, "Enough with the mushy apologizing and stuff! You're gonna make me hurl over here!"

Day bit back the rest of her apologies, feeling no less guilty for the ultimate destruction of Undyne's home.

"In the meantime, I guess I'll go hang out with Papyrus," Undyne suggested, "He owes me a cooking lesson! THAT'LL TEACH SANS TO TELL ME PUNS WHEN I CAN'T FIGHT BACK!" She cackled at this mischievous plot, "Oh this is gonna be great!"

With a final wave, Undyne hurried to put her plan into motion, "See ya around! Stay out of trouble, punk! Don't make me come after you!"

Day giggled, "Okay, I won't!"

She was left alone in front of the blazing house. Day couldn't help but smile; again, someone she'd been so terrified of was now her friend. Hopefully that trend would continue.

Next on her list of "befriending" was the riverperson—she headed back to the dock to search for them.

Undyne's house stayed behind, burning bright. It seemed only fire lived there, now.

* * *

 _ **I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave any comments or criticisms you may have- feedback of any kind is appreciated!**_


	19. Cooking Up Trouble (I'm So Sorry!)

_**Oh hey look. It's me again. It's been... what, a month since I've posted? Heh... I am so sorry about that. I needed a break. I wrote three whole papers in five days and got a grand total of 24 hours of sleep throughout all of that. I was then miserably ill for about a week after that. Hm, I wonder what could've POSSIBLY made me sick? It's not like I wasn't getting enough sle- oh wait.  
**_

 _ **(And I should also clarify, do NOT feel bad for me about any of that- I had several months to do those papers, and moronically chose to wait until the last minute. I WILL NEVER LEARN! MWUHAHAHA! XD)**_

 _ **And I am now immediately regretting that break, as this chapter turned out rather... slow. I needed to shake off some of that rust of "being lazy and not writing for a month."**_

 _ **Again, I am so sorry about that. I am also SO SORRY about the obvious reference here. Trust me, you'll get it if you have the determination to stick it through til the end. There were a few characters I wanted to include who don't necessarily further the plot, but who I would feel guilty about leaving out.**_

 _ **Anyway, that being said, I hope you enjoy! (ish)**_

* * *

It was only after Day's third laser crossing that she made an important discovery: the beams rose all the way to her waist. If she really wanted to, she could have crawled beneath them and saved herself the stress of navigation.

It was a bit late for the shortcut now.

Day reached a fork in the road; a large door loomed up ahead, and the paths stretched further out to the sides.

Her phone dinged. Alphys had made another post.

alphysaurus: OH MY GOD I FORGOT TO TELL THEM WHERE TO GO!

Not even a minute later, there was a second post.

alphysaurus: cute pic of me right now!

A photo popped up to follow the message. Day took one look at it… and was confused. The picture wasn't of Alphys at all. Instead, it showed an overflowing trashcan in a pink, glittery light.

 _… Huh._

Day decided not to question it; she didn't understand half of Alphys' posts, anyway.

 _What in the world does "LMAO" mean?_

In the meantime, Day had to choose a path to take: left or right? Neither seemed to have an immediate benefit over the other, so she resolved to go left. She flew across the gap by way of a single vent, and _vent_ ured forward.

The path ended at a wall of the cavern; two monsters were reclining against it, looking bored. The area was cut off by a single blue laser, but no longer daunted by the obstacle, Day simply crawled beneath it.

Both monsters were staring at her curiously. One seemed to be composed entirely of green fire—she looked like Grillby. The other was purple and tentacled, balancing a skateboard on his knee.

Hesitantly, Day waved.

The fire girl nodded in greeting, the purple monster flashed a grin.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked, "Hanging out?"

"I… guess so?"

"Yeah, us too." He nodded towards the fire girl, "Me and Ember were chilling here—didn't wanna go to class— then we got shut in by that weird laser thing. But hey, at least now we don't have to go to school, right?"

He had a good point.

"How are you going to get out?" she asked, concerned.

"I dunno," he admitted, "What do you think, Em?"

Ember wordlessly pointed to an indention in the wall: a doorway.

"Oh yeah!" the purple monster realized, "Yeah, that could do it!" He stood, still balancing the skateboard on his knee, "Hey, you think you could help us out here—uh, what's your name?"

"Day," she answered, "What do you need help with?"

"Well see—I'm Oz, by the way—see, there's this weird puzzle thing back here that we don't usually mess with, cause it's hard as heck fix again if it's screwed up. But I'm thinking that's what gets the laser running, so if we mess with it some—and don't break it—but mess with it just a little, maybe it'll turn off again." He glanced back at Ember, "That's what you're thinking, right?"

Ember nodded. Her silence seemed to be a compensation of Oz's ramblings.

"Awesome! Come on, let's do this!" Oz dashed inside the doorway, leaving Day and Ember to follow after him.

The moment they entered, Day cringed at the sight of the puzzle. It looked like an enormous checkerboard, filled with both white and black boxes. There was a little yellow arrow pointing to a column near the middle, and directly across from it at the end of the blank checkerboard, a white arrow of the same size.

"Okay, so here's how—wow, this thing is so old—here's how the puzzle works." Oz approached a strange mounted box in front of the puzzle, adorned with four arrows and a large button, "So what you do is press these things—" He hit the left arrow, and instantly, all the black boxes on the checkerboard shifted one space left, "—and the thingies move like that! So you press the thingies to make the thingies move, and then you shoot that thingy—" He pointed to the yellow arrow, "To hit that other thingy—" He shifted his point of reference to the white arrow across the way, "And that solves the puzzle! Easy, right?"

Day blinked, "Um…"

Ember seemed to sigh quietly, and approached the mounted control board. She hit an arrow key, watched the black boxes shift, and turned her attention to Day. To further display her point, she hit the down arrow twice; while some boxes shifted down, others were stuck in place, blocked by the immovable white blocks. She looked at Day again.

Day started to understand, and nodded to show as much.

Ember returned the nod, then pointed to the single round button on the panel; she traced it back to the yellow arrow by the checkerboard, then held up a single finger. Day took this to mean she had only one shot to hit the white arrow across from it.

"Oh, I get it!" Day joined her at the controls, "So I just…" She fiddled with the arrows, the black boxes shifting accordingly.

Oz was awkwardly to the side, trying to hide his disappointment at the failure of his explanation.

"Yeah," he muttered, "Just—yeah, you just do that."

There wasn't much strategy to Day's box shifting—she saw a space, she fit a box into it. No matter what she did, however, there always seemed to be one box in the way of a clear shot. And just as she was able to fit the unwieldy box in an out-of-the-way crevice, another took its place. This was turning into the x and o puzzle all over again.

Day felt a tap on her shoulder—Ember was trying to get her attention.

"Yes?"

Ember pointed to the "up" arrow, then to a specific area of black boxes. She seemed to have a plan.

Day stepped back to allow her full control, and after a moment's hesitation, the fire monster took the wheel. She shifted the boxes up once, then twice, and then moved them all a space to the right.

Both Day and Oz were in awe. There it was: a clear path.

Oz clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Way to go, Em! You totally just—"

Ember's flames flickered a bit, causing Oz to retreat suddenly.

"Oh yeah—right—I forgot," he stammered allowed, "No touching—yeah—got it."

She didn't further the topic, and instead stepped back to allow Day access to the control panel's single round button.

Day shook her head politely, "It's okay. You did the hardest part, so you can solve it."

"Ooh!" Oz approached eagerly, "Can I do it? Please, Em? I've never gotten to fire it! _Please?"_

Ember made a slight gesture to the panel, permitting it.

Oz nearly jumped for joy, "YES!" He dashed to the panel before Ember could change her mind, and grinned eagerly at the two, "You ready? You really ready?"

Both girls nodded, impervious to his enthusiasm.

"Alright… here goes nothing!" He slammed a hand down atop the button.

A small red laser beam shot forth, then with an anticlimactic "blip!" the white arrow was hit and split in two.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" appeared in yellow text above the checkerboard box, flashed for a moment, then vanished.

"… Huh." Oz stood aimlessly, "I sorta thought it was gonna be bigger—or cooler or louder—than that."

Ember simply shook her head, then began to head out of the puzzle room.

"Hey—Em! Wait up!" Oz followed her quickly, leaving Day to trail behind both monsters.

As they'd hoped, the blue laser was now deactivated.

"ALRIGHT!" Oz pumped both fists in the air victoriously, "That did it! We aren't trapped now! We can do whatever we want!"

There was a moment's pause, and slowly, he lowered his hands to his sides.

"… Uh…" He looked to Ember, "… You wanna just hang out here some more?"

Ember nodded.

And with that, the two teens returned to their lounging spots against the wall as if the event had never occurred. Day decided to leave them to their, er, _important_ business and move on.

"See ya, Day!" Oz called after her, "You can come hang with us if you ever want to!"

"Okay!" she called back, "Thank you!"

She had almost made it to the fork in the path when her phone rang—it was Alphys.

"Alphys here!" she rushed, "S-so about those puzzles on the left and right—they're kinda hard to explain, but I'll try my best—"

"Um, Dr. Alphys—"

"So there's, uh, this weird little board on the wall that you'll see—it's um, filled with different colored blocks—"

"Like a checkerboard?"

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, exactly like that! And—" Alphys went silent. "… Um… h-how did you know that it was—"

There was another hasty pause, "Y-you solved them already, didn't you?"

"I tried to solve one," she explained, "I couldn't figure it out, but I met two people who could—"

"Oh! Th-that's good! Awesome!" Alphys laughed, sounding flustered, "Really! Uh—well, all I was going to tell you was that, uh, t-to open up those big doors in front of you, y-you just have to… um, s-solve the puzzles on both sides! But, um, hold on a second—uh—oh! L-look at that! It looks like s-someone solved the puzzle on the other side, already! S-so, um, you can go right through the doors!"

Day let out a breath, making no secret her relief. She hopped across the gap in the path by way of the vent, and continued down the middle path. Sure enough, the two towering doors slid open only moments before her approach.

The path made a sharp turn, and Day took the first vent the came across.

This proved to be a mistake.

A gust of air sent her spiraling through the air and onto a narrow section of path—which happened to consist of no more than a vent. The moment she touched down, she was flung forward again, given no time to regain her senses. Day lost count of how many vents she encountered, but by the time she landed on solid ground, the world was spinning around her.

"…llo? Hello?!"

Day searched for the voice, not spotting anyone—or much of anything, for that matter. The area she'd landed in was completely dark. The only light came from the dim screen of her phone; she'd never hung up on Alphys' call.

She collected it quickly, "Dr. Alphys?"

"Uh, yep! Still me, here! Uh—I th-think I lost you for a second there—um, so where are you now?"

"I'm not sure."

"Y-you're not? Wh-what do you see?"

Day surveyed the area around her, then answered definitively, "Black."

"B-black? B-but how—oh! Th-the lights must be out! Here, uh—just stay there a second, okay? I'll just—um, I can hack into the light system from here! I-I think." Day could clearly hear the clack of a keyboard from Alphys' end of the phone, "H-hold on! J-just one second… and…!"

The lights practically blinded her, so Day shielded her eyes. When she opened them again, she caught sight of one of the last things she'd expected.

She was standing in half a kitchen.

 _Half_ a kitchen. Meaning there was a single back wall adorned with a fridge and counter and oven, and nothingness off the opposite side of the path. The path too had changed: it was an unpleasant collaboration of sky blue and sea-foam green tiles, completing the tacky feel of the kitchen. A large countertop sat near the empty end of the path, only a foot or so away from the edge.

Day approached it curiously, wondering why such a room, and half a room at that, was in the middle of Hotland.

She didn't have to wonder for long.

" _Oooooh yes!"_

 _Oh no._

Ropey sprung out from behind the counter, taking his place in front with the camera still balanced on his head.

Mettaton wheeled out from the opposite end of the kitchen to a backdrop of artificial applause, waving dramatically.

"Welcome, beauties and gentle-beauties!" he greeted, "It's time again for the underground's premier cooking show—" A sign above them came to life as he read off each word, "Cooking With a Killer Robot!"

Mettaton pulled an oversized chef's hat from beneath the counter, "Preheat your ovens, because we've got a very special recipe for you today! We're going to be baking… a cake! And almost as sweet as our soon-to-be culinary masterpiece is my lovely human assistant!"

With that, a spotlight centered on Day—she froze a few feet from the exit, caught in the act.

A robotic laugh burst from the machine, "Oh, what a character! Everyone give her a big hand!"

While the recorded applause played, Mettaton wheeled over and grabbed her by the cuff of her sleeve, then practically dragged her back to the counter. Day presented no resistance, afraid what he could do now that Alphys was no longer there to help her.

"Now, you simply _can't_ help with the baking if you're not dressed for the occasion!" When his hands emerged from inside his rectangle body, they held two articles of clothing: a chef's hat and a stained apron. Before she could protest, the hat was slapped down on her head, covering her eyes.

"Chop chop, darling!" He threw the apron into her arms, "We've got no time to lose!"

Day struggled to see again, then hurriedly complied with the robot's wishes. She tied the apron around her waist, over the sweater, and did her best to evade the camera.

"To start, my _lovely_ assistant here—" Mettaton pinched her cheek affectionately at this, "—will gather our ingredients! Those of you following along at home, pay extra attention: we'll need sugar, milk, flour, and eggs!" He gave Day a pat on the head, flattening the chef's hat, "That's your cue, sweetheart! Why don't you go and get them?"

She looked around helplessly, disoriented by the bright lights and fast pace of it all, "Um—I—"

"No need to be flustered, darling! It shouldn't be so hard to find them!" He waved back towards the "kitchen," giving her an obvious hint.

Day nodded hastily, and hurried over to the fridge. She was prepared to scour the shelves for the ingredients in question… but the task proved less complex than she'd expected. The only items inside were two cartons: one of milk and one of eggs.

 _Well that's easy._

She balanced them under an arm, then searched for the remaining ingredients. Two obviously labeled bags sat out in the open atop the counter. Day reached up to grab one—and was presented with another problem.

Her hand fell short by several inches.

The heat rose into her cheeks, and Day glanced back at Mettaton for help. His heavy laughter did not make her feel any better.

"No need to worry, darling!" He remained quite comfortably in front of the camera, but extended his arms backward to grab the bags himself. They snaked through the air in an odd manner, then suddenly snapped back into place.

"I suppose putting them up so high was a bit _short_ sighted of me!" he joked, and was met with the thunderous laugh-track. Day slunk back to the main counter, placing her own ingredients on top and fighting the urge to pull the hat over her face once more.

"Perfect!" Mettaton remarked, "We've got all the ingredients we need to make the cake! Milk, sugar, flour, eggs…" He put a hand to his "mouth" in shock, "Oh my! Wait just a magnificent moment here! Oh, how could I forget such a thing? We're missing the most important ingredient of all!" Mettaton leaned forward as if to confide within Day some great secret, "Do you know what that ingredient is, sweetheart?"

"Um…" She wrung her hands, struggling for an answer, "I… I don't know?"

"Oh it's quite obvious! The missing ingredient is…" Before Day knew what had happened, Mettaton was facing her head-on, holding a revving chainsaw, "… _a human soul!"_

Pure terror made her joints lock up; the moment she made a move to flee, she stumbled backwards clumsily. Day found herself staring fearfully at her reflection in the metal of the chainsaw's blade, getting closer by the minute.

Suddenly, a musical jingle erupted between the two. Mettaton's buttons were flashing wildly, in time with the jingle. The chainsaw was silenced, and with a slight huff, Mettaton hit a button on his side; a small antenna emerged from the top of his head.

"Hello?" he answered, as if speaking on the phone, "I'm kind of in the middle of something, here. Would you mind—"

"W-wait a second!" Alphys' voice was somehow projected from within Mettaton, "C-couldn't you make a… couldn't you use a… c-couldn't you make a s-substitution in the recipe?!"

Mettaton crossed an arm, the other hand raised to where his chin might have been, "You mean, use a different, non-human ingredient? Why ever so?"

"Um…" Alphys was struggling for an excuse, "Wh-what if… um… maybe someone's uh… um… v-vegan?"

Mettaton did not move.

"… Vegan."

"W-well I—"

"Why of course!" Mettaton interrupted enthusiastically, "That's a brilliant idea if I've ever heard one, Dr. Alphys! In fact, by some fortunate coincidence, I happen to know of such a substitute: MTT Brand Always-Convenient-Human-Soul-Flavored-Substitution!" He winked at the camera, "Available at all stores proudly selling MTT Brand products!"

While Day was busy trying to figure out how a faceless robot could wink, her sleeve was grasped by an extended metal hand, and she was yanked to her feet.

"Lucky for you, my lovely human assistant—" Her cheek was pinched a second time, "A can of said marvelous substitute is right over there!" At his sweeping gesture, the camera was panned over to a spotlight near the exit; it contained a simple counter, atop which a single can sat, unassumingly.

Day couldn't help but feel suspicious, and her face must've revealed as much, because Mettaton gave her an encouraging nudge towards the counter.

"Well, go for it, sweetheart!" he told her, "Our lovely audience is waiting!"

Given little choice in the matter, Day approached the lone counter with considerable hesitation, waiting for another "surprise" to present itself. When nothing out of the ordinary occurred, she abandoned her hesitation and reached for the can—

Only to jerk it back again when, with a loud rumble, the counter shot up from the ground. It rose into the air, supported by identical counters beneath it, and showed no sign of slowing.

While Day was staring up at the growing tower in a mixture of amazement and apprehension, Mettaton flew over, his single wheel replaced by a jet engine. Ropey was bouncing happily atop his head, filming devoutly.

"By the way," Mettaton told her, sounding a bit smug, "Our show runs on a _very_ strict schedule. If you can't find a way to get the can in the next… oh, let's say _one minute_ … we'll just have to go back to the original plan!" He waved, then flew to the top of the heap himself, "Better start climbing, beautiful!"

Even when she craned her neck all the way, Day couldn't catch a glimpse of the top counter.

 _What am I supposed to do now?!_ she panicked silently, _I can't climb all the way up there! And he wants me to do it in one minute?! And even if I tried, if I fell—from all the way up there—_

Her fearful internal ramblings were interrupted by her phone, which she answered grimly.

"Hello?"

"Day! It's Alphys! I—oh no, th-that's—I'm watching everything now!" she explained, sounding just as panicked, "That's way t-too high to reach! B-but don't worry! F-f-fortunately, I might have a plan! Um, so when I was upgrading your phone, I m-may have added a few small… f-features. Y-you see that huge button that says, um, "jetpack"?"

Day scanned her phone, and found a large button on the back that fit the description.

"Yes?"

"G-go ahead and press it! Hurry!"

Day obeyed, and instantly, the phone began to shake violently in her hand. In a matter of seconds it had doubled in size, and Day was holding a large backpack-like item in her hands.

"Tada!" Alphys' voice seemed to come from a speaker on the inside of it, "See? It's a phone that turns into a jetpack! I-I'm thinking about getting a p-patent for it—uh, b-but anyway—it should have j-just enough fuel to get you to the top! S-so what are you waiting for? Get up there and sh-show that robot what you're made of!"

With no time to lose, Day pulled the jetpack straps over her shoulders and clung onto them tightly.

"H-hold on, okay?!" Alphys' voice warned, and shortly after came the sound of ignition. Before she had a chance to react, there was an explosion of force, and Day was lifted off the ground at an alarming speed.

Day latched onto the straps like her life depended on it, scaling the side of the tower of counters.

"Are you okay?!" Alphys asked, "I'll st-steer—so don't worry! J-just hold on and—"

Something suddenly flew past Day's face, making her yelp.

"Wh-what?! What is it?!"

Above her, somehow managing to fly even faster, Mettaton waved innocently.

"Whoopsy! Dropped some!" He gave the carton of eggs another jerk, sending a handful plummeting towards Day. The jetpack swerved to one side, narrowly missing the barrage of projectiles.

"Mettaton!" Alphys snapped, "Th-that's not fair! At least g-give her a chance to—"

A cloud of white powder rained down from above, blanketing Day in a layer of flour.

"Oh, how clumsy of me!" Mettaton lamented with mock-remorse, "You see, that's the trouble with this brand—did I mention you have thirty seconds, darling? Tick tock!"

Day coughed up a mouthful of flour, unable to do more than clutch the jetpack straps.

Alphys was not deterred—she managed to steer the jetpack away from the pelted ingredients, narrowly avoiding a waterfall of milk and several torrents of sugar.

"Y-you're almost to the top!" she assured Day, "J-just hold on! I've—almost—got it-!"

At long last, the countertop came into sight. With a final sputter of fuel, the jetpack powered its way to the top, then gave up. Day was plopped down, frazzled and now coated in white, but alive.

Mettaton slowly rose to her level, clapping sarcastically.

"My my." His voice was flat, "It appears as though you've bested me, yet again. But _only_ because you had the help of the brilliant Dr. Alphys! Oh, I positively _loathe_ to think of what would happen to you without her!"

Day agreed with him, there.

"Well, that wraps up this episode! Toodles!" He turned to rocket away, then paused, "Oh yes, I nearly forgot. About that substitution… haven't you ever seen a cooking show before?" Mettaton laughed, "I already baked the cake ahead of time! So basically everything you just did was pointless!"

 _… What._

"Welcome to show business, baby!" he told her simply, "Can't wait to see you again, darling!"

And with that he flew away, leaving Day stranded on top of the counter.

She didn't dare to look down, suddenly realizing how high up she was.

"W-wow!"

Alphys' voice nearly made her jump—that wouldn't have ended well, given her current circumstances.

"W-we did it!" Alphys blurted, "We… we actually did it! H-ha! Hahaha! I knew we could! I n-never doubted it for a minute! Ha! G-great work out there, team!"

"Thank you for helping me," Day said, though a bit distracted, "But—"

"Oh, n-no problem! It's n-no problem at all! Y-you did so well out there, too! I-I couldn't imagine ME out there, d-doing what you did—"

"Dr. Alphys?" Day tried to speak quietly, not eager to interrupt, "Um, can you please—"

"Anyway—heh, n-now that that's all over—l-let's keep heading forward!" she suggested, "Th-there's something up ahead that c-could be—I think it's really cool—"

"I can't."

Alphys stopped, "Y-you can't? Wh-why not?"

"I'm stuck."

"Stuck? Stuck whe—" There was a pause of realization, "… Oh… y-yeah… y-yeah, I forgot all about th-that—s-sorry! I wasn't th-thinking—um, c-could you maybe… h-hold on, just a minute? I'll f-fix this!"

The jetpack clicked, then like a mousetrap snapping, the enormous device folded itself back into a handheld phone. Day reached over to pick it up, and immediately, it began to ring.

"Hel—"

"Human Day! I saw you on TV! I can't believe you got to meet Mettaton! Do you think you could get your best friend an autograph—"

There was the sound of a scuffle, and then suddenly, Undyne's voice blasted from the phone at full volume.

"YOUR best friend?! Are you kidding?! Day's MY bestie! Isn't that right, Day?!"

"But she and I went on a date! And I made it to the friend zone so quickly!"

"Yeah, but WE burnt down my house together! Only the BESTEST of friends can say that!"

"But you and I have nearly burnt down my house plenty of times! And human Day, I'm serious about the autograph! Just have him make it out to "His biggest fan, the Great Papyrus"!"

Undyne groaned, "Why the heck do you want his autograph so badly? He gives me bad vibes…"

"What?! But why?! He's so popular!"

"Yeah, well I don't care about people just because they're popular."

"Well, maybe YOU can say that!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're very popular!"

"Psht, what? Yeah right—with who?"

"You're popular with me!"

Undyne suddenly laughed, "Aw! Papyrus! You're popular with me too!"

"Aw, wowie!" There was a pause, "Wait… so does that mean you don't care about me?"

"… Er… how bout we… call you back, Day?"

"Goodbye, Day!"

She was smiling so widely, it was difficult to reply, "Bye Papyrus! Bye Miss Undyne!"

"Nyeheh! See? She said goodbye to me first, so clearly—NO UNDYNE PLEASE DON'T NOOGIE ME—"

The line went dead.

Just then, the counter tower beneath her buckled, and without warning, began to shrink at an alarming rate. Day tried to get a grip on anything, but this proved useless. In a matter of seconds, it had reached the hideous tile of the pathway and jerked to a halt. She was thrown off to the ground, landing atop a pile of cracked eggs, milk, and mounds of white powder.

She just lied on her back a minute, staring up at the cavern ceiling. Something cold and wet dribbled onto her neck, making her shudder.

Day was now certain of one thing: she was not set out for baking.

* * *

As Day trudged along the rocky path, she wiped the remaining flour from her face with the now even more stained apron. Her hands were uncomfortably sticky, no matter how much she attempted to clean them—and Day refused to spit on them in a desperate attempt to solve the problem.

Off in the distance, she caught a glimpse of something dark in the shadows. She squinted to make it out in detail—there were glints of metal, an occasional blast of steam, and the whole structure glowed red from flowing lava. It was massive… and unnerving.

Her phone rang.

"Y-you see that?" Alphys asked, knowing exactly where she stood, "Th-that's the core. It's the source of all power for the underground, fr-from Snowdin to the edge of the barrier! It's actually really ingenious—it converts geothermal energy into magical electricity by this super intricate process of isolating certain elements, especially aluminum—it's one of the most abundant elements in the earth's surface! And it's especially good because aluminum is one of the most conductive elements of them all, so it works well with channeling electricity! A-and separating the aluminum from all the other elements is surprisingly easy too! All you have to do is get a powerful electromagnetic charge going and—"

She stopped talking suddenly, "… Oh. I-I talked for a l-long time, didn't I? Eheh—s-sorry—you're probably—r-really confused, right? I'm s-sorry—um, b-but what I meant to say at the beginning was—th-that's where we're headed."

Day eyed the ominous structure with unease, "To the core?"

"Yeah, uh… there's an elevator inside th-that goes directly to the king's castle! S-so if you can get there… then… th-then you can get home! Okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

"Okay! G-good! Well, um… th-there should be an elevator close by! When you get there, um—just hit the button that says "R2," okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"S-sure! W-well! I'll just, uh, leave you to it!" She hung up hastily.

Day continued walking, and like Alphys had told her, she soon came across a plain elevator at the end of the path. "R1" flashed in red letters above the doors, which opened the moment Day approached.

Inside, Day found nothing of interest besides a rather large panel of buttons. She scoured them all until she found "R2," and hit the button. The doors closed, and after a brief period of rumbling, the elevator doors opened once more.

She ventured outside cautiously, unsure if this was a different floor from the first.

"Hey!"

Something small dashed over to her, jumping eagerly. It looked to be a small orange fireball, only as tall as her waist. There was a little yellow star in the center of his chest, and he sported plain black eyes and a simple albeit mischievous grin.

"Hey, hey!" he repeated, bouncing in place, "I'm Heats Flamesman!"

"Hello," Day greeted, "My name's Day."

"Hey Day!" He continued to bounce, "Remember my name, okay? I'll remember yours if you promise to remember mine! Okay?"

She had begun to suspect that he too was related to Grillby, but the little fireball seemed much too talkative.

"Okay, I will." Day began to walk away, "Bye, Heats Flamesman."

"YOU REMEMBERED!" Heats was absolutely overjoyed, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU REMEMBERED! I REMEMBERED TOO—BYE DAY!"

She smiled and waved. _There's no way he's related to Grillby._

The path did not remain empty for long. It widened out to form a large area, a sentry station in the corner. And at that station, head in his arms, was none other than Sans, himself.

Day wasted no time in running over, but slowed her pace as she got closer. Sure enough, the skeleton was fast asleep, snoring lowly. She was relieved to find that there was no longer a crack above his left eye, and decided, like last time, to leave him be. Day simply reached up and patted one of his arms briefly, careful not to wake him, then continued down the path.

In a matter of steps, she reached another fork in the path. Day stopped at the crossroads, pondering indecisively which direction to go.

A glint of light diverted her attention, and she turned towards its source. It seemed to have come from the emptiness off the side of the main path, but Day could see nothing there to cause it. She stepped over to take a closer look—and saw something strange.

There was a somewhat invisible pathway leading directly off the rocky path. It looked to be made of glass, and as such not the most trustworthy insofar as supporting her weight, but… Day was curious as to where it led.

She took an experimental step out onto the path, and finding it sturdy, continued along cautiously.

The pathway stopped at a collection of little platforms. The largest was in the center, and it sat surrounded by small squares of rock, each sporting a yellowing cactus.

Day sought to explore what little there was of the hidden area, and found a single sign mounted in the ground. She approached curiously and read the following:

"Art Club: Meet Here! Next meeting at—"

"AAAAH! I'M LATE! I'M SO SORRY!"

She was caught off guard by the sudden exclamation and spun around—only to be barreled into by an enormous orange monster.

Day was shoved mercilessly into the ground, the wind knocked out of her chest.

"OHMYGOSH!" the monster exclaimed, rushing over to her, "OHMYGOSH I BUMPED INTO YOU, DIDN'T I?! I'M SO SORRY!"

Day could only stare up at this apologetic monster. He had a long snout, giant ears, and a black beret sitting crooked on top of his head. From her point of view he was upside down, but Day could still recognize the look of devastation on his face.

"Oh, it's okay!" she assured, still out of breath, "You didn't mean to—"

"Are you okay, though?! Here, I'll help you up!" He reached down, so Day offered up her hand. Once she'd been pulled to her feet, the monster hurriedly dusted off her t-shirt, trying to make up for his mistake.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized again, "I didn't mean to knock you over—I promise I didn't! I'm such a klutz!"

"It's alright," she assured him, "I'm not mad; I didn't get hurt."

"Okay—that's good, but—" The monster still seemed distressed, "Oh, I'm so sorry…"

Day nodded to emphasize her sincerity, "It's okay. Really. What's your name?"

"What? My name? You want to know my name?" he asked, "Um, okay… it's Arthur—er, I mean Art! I go by Art."

"Hi Art," she greeted, "I'm Day."

"Oh, well hi Day!" Art waved a bit awkwardly, "Um, so… what are you doing? Normally there's no one else here when I come by."

She shrugged, "I just saw the path and wanted to see where it went… what is this place?"

"This place? Didn't you read the sign? It's the Art Club!" He snickered a little, "It's—it's sort of a joke, because—well, it's supposed to be a place for artists to come and draw, but… I'm sort of the only member… so... heh, so it really is just the "Art" Club! Haha!"

Day didn't think his laughter was genuine, but said nothing about it.

"So are you an artist?"

"Me? Well—y-yes, I am, actually!" Art held his vest proudly, "I'm quite the artist, if I do say so myself! After all, Art is my middle na—well, that would be my first name, actually. Y-yeah! Art is my first name, so it works perfectly!"

Day giggled a little; his delivery wasn't the best, but the pun was worthy of Sans.

"Hey! Actually, that gives me an idea!" Art said, "I-I can draw you a picture! You know, to make up for me knocking you over! W-would that be okay?"

"Oh you don't have to—" Day hurriedly bit back the statement, realizing it might hurt his feelings. She tried again, "I mean… I would like that. If you're not busy."

"Of course not! It—it would be fun! I came here to practice drawing, anyway, so this is perfect!" He dug a hand inside his blue vest, "Now, let me just find my… where is it?"

Art withdrew and discarded several miscellaneous items: balls of crumpled paper, a few colored scraps of paper, half a hotdog, a tennis ball. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for.

"Aha!" He held out a little purple notebook with pride, "Here it is! This is my special art notebook—you can't draw a great picture without great paper, is what I always say!" With that, Art sat down and flipped open his notebook.

Day sat too, but in front of him. She knew people generally didn't like it when other people read over their shoulders, and assumed the same for drawing.

Art flipped through the pages, scrunching up his nose at each.

"No, that one has a little smudge there—" He turned the page, "Mm… maybe—no, absolutely not! Never in a million years!"

He had nearly made it through the entire notebook before settling at last on a page.

"Perfect!" he announced, "Now to use my special magic pencil and—"

Art had reached into his vest again, but found nothing.

"What in the world?" He searched more vigorously, "Where did it go? It was right here a minute ago! I couldn't have lost it! I—OH NO! WHAT IF I LOST IT?! OH THIS IS BAD!"

"What did you lose?"

"My magic pencil!" he blurted, "It's my special magic pencil! I can't draw anything good without it! I-I have to find it!"

Although Day found it hard to believe that a specific pencil could make one good or bad at drawing, she resolved to help him look.

"Maybe you dropped it when you were cleaning out your vest?" she offered, "That happens to me sometimes, when I'm emptying out my pockets."

"Oh! Right!" Art dropped down to his knees and began to scour the mounds of crumpled papers he'd tossed about, "It's gotta be here—it's gotta be!"

Day too got on all fours, nudging paper aside to glance underneath. It didn't take her long to spot something black against the white of the paper.

"Is this it?" She held up the black pencil so that he could see.

"AH! You found it!" Art took it from her gratefully, "Thank you so much! I don't know what I would do if I ever lost this!"

"You're welcome," she replied simply, "So… what makes it a magic pencil?"

"Oh, that's actually something really cool; everything I draw with it looks completely real!"

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah! Isn't that so cool?! Here, I'll show you!" Art rapidly scribbled something on the page, working furiously, "Hold on—aaaand…!"

There was a flash of light, making Art flinch and drop the notebook.

Day took a step back, "What was tha—"

Suddenly, they both heard a strange, garbled sound. Something dark leapt up from the notebook, snarling like an animal. It was composed entirely of pencil scribbles, with thin arms and legs, and two pointy horns atop its head.

When it turned its attention to Art, he yelped.

"OKAY MAYBE THAT'S A LITTLE TOO REAL!" he blurted, "St-stay back, little… thing!"

The scribble monster obeyed, but not without grabbing onto Art's notebook with one of its little clawed hands.

"N-no! Wait a minute—you can't take that! Stop!"

Art's words had no effect, and the scribble monster tore out a page, pelting him with the paper.

"Hey! No, don't—ow! That's not yours to—ow! Stop it!"

Day stepped in to defend her friend, facing the little monster head-on.

"Hey! That's not yours! Give it back!"

Instead of complying, the monster swept up the notebook and made a move to flee the scene.

But Day was too quick for it. Thinking on her feet, she untied her dirty apron, then with a burst of determination, caught the small monster inside.

It fought wildly against its captor, but in the frenzy, dropped Art's purple notebook. Now the challenge was figuring out what to do with the angry scribble monster.

"H-hold on a second, please!" Day told Art, "I'll be right back!"

Without waiting for an answer, she hurried to cross the invisible bridge, the struggling monster threatening to throw her off balance. She didn't want to hurt it, so she held the apron loosely as she could manage. When she returned to visible ground, Day quickly opened the apron, and the monster tumbled out. As she'd hoped, it showed no interest in her—it fled, growling and snarling all the way.

Day breathed a sigh of relief, then slinging the apron over her shoulder, returned to the "Art Club."

"Are you okay?!" Art asked hastily when he saw her, "I messed up again—I didn't mean for it to be so violent—I didn't even mean for it to come to life like that! I'm so sorry!"

She just nodded, "It's okay. I'm fine."

"Well… um… maybe drawing you something with a regular, non-magic pencil would be better, huh?" He laughed nervously, then before she could answer, withdrew a second pencil and hid his face behind the notebook to work.

Day took this time to catch her breath, lying flat on her back. Maybe after this she would go take a nap, like Sans was doing. It didn't seem like a bad idea—maybe he was onto something with the whole "laziness" thing.

"I'm finished!" Art announced a few minutes later, "Are you ready to see it? I think you'll really like it—I hope you will, anyway."

Day rose to her feet, brushed herself off, and walked over to join him.

"Ready."

"Okay… behold!"

Art revealed the drawing with great enthusiasm: in the center of the page was a simple, round heart. It had been colored red with a crayon.

"Voila!" He was grinning widely, "What do you think? It's—I tried to do a representation of your deepest essence… it's great, right?"

For a moment, Day said nothing. Then, slowly, she matched his smile.

"I love it."

"You do?! Really? You're not just saying that, are you?!"

She shook her head sincerely, "No; I really love it. I promise. You're a really good artist!"

He flushed at the praise, "Oh, well… heh, I'm not sure if I would say _really_ good, but…" Art tore the page out of his notebook and handed it to Day, "Here you go! I-I even autographed it at the bottom! Just in case I—just in case I really do become a famous artist! Then it'll be worth millions!"

Day didn't bother telling him that it was already priceless, in her mind.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll leave you with that, then!" Art replaced the notebook and pencil inside his vest, "I'm gonna go ahead and go! So, uh, goodbye Day!"

"Bye Art!"

"See you later!"

"Okay!"

"Sayonara! Nice knowing ya! Hasta la vista!"

Day blinked, unsure what most of those words meant.

Art slunk away awkwardly, "Heh… I should… just… leave now…" He scurried down the invisible path before he could embarrass himself further.

Once he'd vanished, Day glanced down at the drawing. She couldn't help but break into a smile again, and held it close to her chest while she left the "Art Club."

It felt like forever since someone had drawn a picture for her.

* * *

 _ **So fun fact I learned only seconds after finishing this- Oz's character is actually supposed to be a girl.**_

 _ **... Welp. The sprite art can be interpreted in different ways. And I've stubbornly grown accustomed to the character I've given him and am unwilling to change it at this time.**_

 _ **So again, I'm "so sorry" this chapter was long and slow... I just needed to get the gears turning again, as far as writing goes. The next chapter is more Mettaton (I'd forgotten how many times he pops up to inconvenience you throughout Hotland) and a nice splash of royal guardsmen. As fun as that may be (sarcasm implied), I'm REALLY eager for the chapter following that. THEN IT'LL BE SPIDER TIME!**_

 _ **Thank you for reading and sticking with me this far! Have a nice rest of the day/night!**_


	20. Going Out With a BANG!

_**Oh yay, more NPC interactions. And Mettaton. My favorite. Mm. XP  
**_

 _ **Well, enjoy!**_

* * *

Day was nearly knocked over as a medium-sized plane zipped past her, barreling down the center of the path.

"Hmph! Don't get in my way!" she snapped, spinning around to stare her down.

"I'm sorry!" Day quickly apologized, a little distracted by the plane's large pink hat, "I didn't see you-"

"Hey! My eyes are down here!" she chastised, "Are you flirting with me?! Sicko!"

Day could only blink dumbly, "Excuse me?"

The plane huffed, "Idiot!" With a final upturning of her nose, she flew away angrily.

Before she could think to continue, Day's phone dinged.

*Alphys posted a new message!*

alphysaurus: dinner with the girlfriend ;)

A picture was attached; it was an action figure of a teenage girl with pink hair and… cat ears? It was standing in front of a styrofoam cup that said "Insta-noodles!: Noodles in an Instant!"

Seconds later, there was another ding.

*CoolSkeleton95 posted a new message!*

CoolSkeleton95: ARE WE POSTING HOT "PICS?" HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND!

Day had a wild guess as to who this mysterious "Cool Skeleton" was, and his next post confirmed her suspicions. It was a picture of Papyrus flexing in front of a mirror, wearing sunglasses. Muscles were clearly drawn onto the picture over his arms—the muscles were also wearing sunglasses.

"What are you laughing at?!" the plane snapped, suddenly behind Day again.

"I—" She hurriedly recollected herself, still giggling a bit, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still there—"

Her phone dinged again, so Day read the message.

alphysaurus: LOL, CoolSkeleton95!... that's a joke right?

"So now you're ignoring me?!" The plane was absolutely enraged, "WOW! How rude can you get?!"

Day realized she was right, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Her phone dinged, and she made sure to ignore it. The plane, however, was no less offended.

"I don't even care!" she growled, "Go ahead! Talk to your precious _sweetheart!_ "

"I… excuse me?"

The plane had already sped down the path, paying no mind to her confusion.

The ding of her phone brought Day's attention to the two new messages awaiting her.

*CoolSkeleton95 posted a new message!"

CoolSkeleton95: THE ONLY JOKE HERE, IS HOW STRONG MY MUSCLES ARE.

*NAPSTABLOOK22 sent you a friend request! Accept?*

Day went to accept, but before she'd even touched the screen, a new message popped up:

*The friend request rejected itself!*

 _… Huh._

As she walked, Day's phone erupted in a series of dings, only seconds apart, as her friends continued to converse.

*StrongFish91 posted a new message!*

StrongFish91: Papyrus, what are you doing?

CoolSkeleton95: PAPYRUS?! EXCUSE ME, I AM THE VERY COOL ONLINE GUY, COOLSKELETON95!

StrongFish91: What? No, you're Papyrus!

CoolSkeleton95: (UNDYNE!)

CoolSkeleton95: (SHHH!)

CoolSkeleton95: (YOU'RE GOING TO REVEAL MY SECRET ONLINE PERSONA!)

StrongFish91: FINE then! I'm not Undyne! The name's StrongFish91!

CoolSkeleton95: WHAT? REALLY? OH NO! STRONGFISH! PLEASE BRING BACK MY FRIEND UNDYNE!

StrongFish91: Uh, ok.

Day smiled, then seeing as the wave of messages had vanished, pocketed her phone. She was starting to run out of places to store things, by now: her pockets held the phone, a few pieces of monster candy, a gold coin (which she _still_ hadn't remembered to return to Sans), Toriel's note, three nice cream wrappers, and Art's carefully folded drawing.

While Day was still checking to make sure all her cherished items were accounted for, she came across another set of conveyor belts. At the far end of the room was a bright blue laser, crackling loudly. Her phone rang, right on cue.

"H… hi! It's Dr. Alphys! This puzzle is kinda… um… timing based. Y-you see those switches over there?"

Day spotted three tall poles beside the belt, each with its own switch.

"Yes?"

"Y-you'll have to press all three of them within a three second timeslot! I'll t-try to help you with the rhythm, okay? S-so, just go whenever you're ready!"

She nodded, and without a moment to lose, stepped onto the belt. Day purposely faced the side of the belt rather than looking ahead, giving her full view of the switches. She flipped the first with ease, and the second soon after. Then, just as she was reaching for the third—

"OKAY! Now hit the other one!" Alphys blurted through the phone. Her sudden exclamation made Day jump, and she missed the final switch as a result. She tried to run back within arm's reach, but the moving belt made this impossible; in shame, she was slowly brought to the end of the belt.

"I missed it," she admitted to Alphys, "Sorry, I was—you scared me, and I just—"

The humming laser soon died down, and to Day's surprise, vanished.

"H-hey!" Alphys said, sounding flustered, "L-looks like you… um… only n-needed… t-to press two of them! That's funny! I swore th-that… th-that it was three… eheheh… g-guess I was wrong! Well! B-bye!" Before she hung up, Day distinctly heard her shriek, "That's the last time I try to help with a puzzle!"

She didn't blame Alphys in the slightest—these puzzles only seemed to be getting more complicated as she came closer to the core.

 _At least they can't get that much worse,_ she reasoned, trying to stay positive.

* * *

Her optimism proved powerless against the next puzzle. The moment Day saw it, both her jaw and her determination dropped.

There were vents. And switches on the ground. And arrows. All combined within a single puzzle.

After a moment, she simply sat; there was absolutely no way she could solve this on her own. If she couldn't even get through the x and o puzzle without Papyrus solving it for her, then what chance did she have against—

 _Papyrus!_

Day whipped out her phone and hit the "call" button next to his contact, then waited patiently. Her call was answered by the second ring.

"Day! What a pleasant surprise! Undyne! Day called me!"

There was a brief exclamation from afar, followed by a loud crash.

"Are you... busy right now?" Day asked.

"No, of course not! I am never too busy for my dear human friend! Did you need something?"

"Well, I'm stuck at this puzzle—"

"Oh… is it a Hotland puzzle?"

"Yes."

"Um… Whoops! I think it's Undyne's turn to talk! Undyne, why don't you—"

"Don't try to hand ME the phone—I hate puzzles! You love them, Papyrus! You do it!"

"But I don't like Hotland puzzles!"

"They're still puzzles!"

"Well, Dr. Alphys made these puzzles, didn't she?"

There was a pause.

"Uh… I think so? So?"

"All you have to do is call her up and say in a really hot voice—" Papyrus deepened his voice drastically, "Dr. Alphys… I need help with a… *wink*… puzzle."

"OH MY GOD! NO! SHUT UP!"

"Fine, then I'll just do it with the hot voice, instead!"

"NO, THAT'S EVEN WORSE! PAPYRUS, GIVE ME THAT PHONE—"

The line went dead.

Day frowned, setting her phone down beside her. No help, there.

She studied the puzzle hopelessly, chin in her hands. All she could figure out was that the vents were controlled by the panels on the floor: some vents were closed, and others opened when the panel was pressed. Somehow, she was expected to be able to make it all the way across this maze of a puzzle, flying across vents and hitting the correct panels. All at the same time.

She couldn't even begin to consider a method to complete the puzzle; it was too big, too complicated. And frankly, she just wasn't smart enough.

"H-hey! D-don't—I'm sorry, okay?" came a familiar voice from behind her, "I-I didn't mean to make you mad! I just—"

" _B-baka_!"

"… Um… I don't, uh… know what that means. It's, uh, not a good thing, is it?"

His hopeful tone was cut off by another yelp, and Day turned around to see what was happening.

Art was retreating from a very aggravated plane, who was revving her engines threateningly.

"L-look! Uh, look- M-Mary, right?"

"It's _Marie!"_ she snapped, "You don't even remember my name?!"

"I-I do! I mean, I—I just forgot, is all! I mean—"

"Art?"

He spun around quickly, then practically leapt forward in relief when he recognized her, "Day! I—I didn't see you there! I—"

Marie suddenly flew up close to his face, "Who is she?!"

"Wh-who? Her?" He pointed back towards Day dumbly, "Uh, well that's—she's a friend—"

"A _friend?!_ Oh _really?!_ " She shot Day an accusing glance, then returned her rage to Art, "How dumb do you think I am?! I see what's going on here!"

"I—I don't know—what you mean—" Art had begun to back up, hoping to find safety behind Day.

"I see exactly what's going on here!" Marie hollered, "I can't believe you! After all I've done! You're just going to go and be with—with— _her!"_

Day took no part in the argument, despite being caught in the middle (in more ways than one). She just blinked cluelessly up at Art, hoping for an explanation.

"Um…" He lowered his voice considerably, "I-I think she… th-thinks that… well, uh, first of all, she thinks that she and I are… um… a thing? Uh—"

"What are you whispering about?!" Marie was positively enraged, "So you're taking her side, now?! You—you— _baka!"_

"… Um… I still d-don't know what that is…" Art just stood, awkwardly, "… Um… b-but Mary, you see—"

" _It's Marie!"_ With a final angry sputter, she spun around and jetted off, still shouting a string of insults back at him.

Art glanced down at Day, then smiled timidly.

"Uh… hi again?"

"Hi Art."

"I—I didn't expect to see you so soon," he said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get to the core," she explained, "But I'm stuck."

"Stuck? Why are you stuck?"

She simply pointed to the massive puzzle behind them.

"Oh." Art frowned, "Yeah, that's a hard one. I—OH! WAIT!"

"What?"

"I—I know how to get past this puzzle!"

"You _do?"_ she asked, amazed.

"Yeah! I—hold on, let me just—hold on!" He dug around inside his vest, "No, not there… no… nope… not that one—got it!" Art withdrew a crumpled piece of paper, and after making an unsuccessful attempt to flatten out the creases, handed it to Day, "Here you go!"

She stared at the paper in confusion. It was a seemingly random list of words, reading as follows:

"Forward, Left, Forward, Backward, Forward, Right, Right, Forward, Left"

Day returned her attention to Art, "I don't understand."

"Well, just try it!" he encouraged, "Just start at the beginning!"

She decided to give him a chance and looked to the paper for reference: "forward." It seemed there was little other way to enter the puzzle than the arrow before her, so Day stepped up—the steam vent sent her a short distance through the air, landing on the panel between arrows.

Day read the next instruction: "left." Sure enough, there was a working vent to her left, so Day took it.

Lo and behold, by the time Day reached the end of the instructions, she was safely on the other side of the puzzle.

"See?" Art shouted across to her, "I told you it would work!"

She positively beamed, waving back at him. "Thank you, Art!" But something made her pause, "Um… Art? How are you going to get across, now?"

"Oh, that's easy! I'll just use the—" He realized the predicament, "… Oh."

"I could give it back to you, if you want! I just don't know how to—"

"That's okay!" Art assured, "You're fine! You keep going to the core! I'll just… um… stay over on this side." He glanced back at the path, "Um, I should probably… maybe it would be a good idea if I went and… apologized to Mary."

"I think her name is Marie."

"Marie! Right! Of course! I-I knew that!" Art mumbled the name to himself a few times, "Marie… it's _Marie…"_

"Bye Art!" she called over to him, "Thank you for helping me!"

"Oh, sure! No problem! No problem at all! W-well, bye then!" He waved a final time, then scurried back down the path, still muttering the angry plane's name under his breath, "Marie… I won't forget this time! Okay… Mary! Ma—oh no, not that! I—oh jeez…"

Day just shook her head a little, smiling in spite of herself. She couldn't tell who was more jittery: Alphys, Art, or her.

With nowhere else to put it, Day folded up the puzzle solution and stuck it in the pocket of her apron. It was a little bulky, covering the sweater tied around her waist, but Day was _not_ about to put it on in this heat. She wouldn't make it ten feet.

As Day neared a bend in the path, there was a clanking of metal behind her.

"Hey!" Someone shouted, "You! Stop!"

She froze in her tracks, then glanced over a shoulder at the speaker.

Two towering figures, clad with armor, stomped over to block the path. One sported two long ears, and the other… Day wasn't sure what he was supposed to be. But whatever he was, it was menacing, so she kept the question to herself.

"You!" the long-eared one repeated, "We've, like, received an anonymous tip about a human wearing a striped sweater! They, like, told us that this human was wandering around Hotland right now…"

Day prayed the apron hid her sweater from sight, "… O-oh?"

"Yeah… sounds scary, right?"

"Y-yeah!" she agreed, perhaps a bit too readily, "Sc-scary!"

"So far, 02 and I haven't seen anything—" She figured he was referring to his silent partner, "Have you?"

She shook her head with great deliberation, "N-no… I haven't…"

"That's good. Well, just stay chill, alright? We'll, like, take you someplace safe. It's, like, our job and stuff." He walked ahead of her on the path, "So, like, follow me!"

She obeyed without comment, staring at the path as she waked.

The other guard followed behind her, and Day felt a stab of panic when she realized that her sweater was most likely visible. She gathered enough determination to peek back, afraid what she might see.

He was lagging behind them, his footsteps far apart and heavy, head drooped. Clearly, his attention was not on Day.

Instinctively, she reversed her course and approached him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, keeping her distance; there was no missing the flashing blade of a sword at his back.

"… Getting… warmer…" was all he said in a low, booming voice.

Day edged closer, thinking she'd misheard him, "Excuse me?"

"Armor… too… hot…"

"Oh, I see," she understood, "Well… can't you just take it off, if it's bothering you?"

He seemed to consider the solution for a moment.

In front of them, the long-eared guard noticed he was no longer being followed.

"Uh, guys?" He turned find them, "Like, what's the hold up? I—"

A coat of armor clanged to the ground between them, and Day shielded her eyes in disgust.

She was under the impression the guard was wearing something _underneath_ the armor.

"Much better…" he breathed in relief, chest somehow glistening in the low light of Hotland.

The other royal guard was in a similar state of immobility as Day, but rather than hiding his eyes, he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away.

The shirtless royal guard, oblivious to them both, began to lead the way on his own. Day followed, paying close attention to every detail of the path below her feet. The long-eared royal guard walked beside her in a trance-like state. By the time he stumbled over his own feet, Day knew there a problem with him, too.

"Excuse me?" She mustered the nerve enough to tug on his hand, "Sir?"

"Huh? Like, what?"

"Is something wrong?"

"What? Like, where would you get that idea? Like…" His gaze drifted back to his shirtless friend, "… Uh… so… this is like, mega embarrassing, but… um… can you keep a secret?"

 _He doesn't even know my name and he wants me to keep a secret?_

"Sure," she agreed, still confused, "What is it?"

"So like… I really want to like, tell 02 something… but… like… I don't know how he'll, like, react to it."

 _Oh no, he wants advice!_

"Well…" Day racked her brain for something encouraging to say, "Um… he's your friend, right?"

"He's not just my friend—he's like, my best bro!" the guard declared, "We've been partners since, like, we joined the royal guard!"

"That's good," she replied, "If he's your friend, then he won't be mad about what you have to say."

"Yeah? You don't think he'll like, hate me after I say it?"

"I don't think so. Just be honest about what you feel; if you tell the truth, he shouldn't have any reason to be mad at you."

The guard seemed reassured by this, "Yeah." He straightened up, "Yeah! You're right! Like, this won't be hard at all! Yeah! I'm just gonna do it! I'm just gonna walk right up to 02 and say—"

02 turned upon hearing his name, "Yes?"

Instantly, 01 lost his nerve.

"Uh—I mean—n-nothing! I was just—"

02 didn't move.

"I—I was just—like—" He glanced down at Day for help.

She nodded, "Go ahead. Just be honest."

01 trembled for a moment, looking from her to 02.

It wasn't long before the confession burst from him like an explosion: "D-dude, I-I can't… _I can't take it anymore! Not like this!_ Like, 02, I like… I like, _like_ you, bro!"

 _THIS WAS NOT AT ALL WHAT I WAS THINKING WOULD HAPPEN,_ Day silently panicked.

"The way you fight, the way you talk… or like, refrain from talking…" 01 went on, "I love doing team attacks with you! I love just standing in battle with you, bouncing and waving our weapons in sync… 02, I like… want to stay like this forever!"

02 was silent. Day was silent. They all stared at one another in an immensely tense, awkward standoff. Only the sounds of hissing steam vents and distant machinery were heard.

"… Uh…" 01 cleared his throat nervously, "I-I mean, uh… psyche! Gotcha, bro! I was just—you know, just like—like, a friendly joke! A friendly joke… between friends… right?" He laughed forcefully, "Y-yeah… friends…"

"… 01."

His head rose quickly, "Y-yeah bro?"

"… Do you… want to go… and get some nice cream?"

She couldn't see his face hidden beneath the helmet, but Day was almost certain he'd broken into a grin.

"Yeah! Sure! Like, of course, dude!" 01 laughed, truly this time, "Yeah! Let's go!"

And with that, the two royal guards left, paying no mind to her.

Day watched them leave a second, still reeling.

 _… What in the world just happened here?_

No amount of introspection would give her an answer, so Day shrugged off the incident and continued forward. Hopefully, they would leave some nice cream for her, too.

* * *

*Alphys posted a new message!*

alphysaurus: oopswait how's the human doing

alphysaurus: Top 10 Shows That Make You Forget to do Your Frickin Job

She received a call from Alphys moments after the messages were posted.

"Okay, don't worry! I'm back!" she assured, "Where are you now?"

"Another dark room," Day informed her, remaining rooted to the spot; she wasn't sure what she'd stumbled onto this time.

"A-another one? Oh no… d-don't worry, though! M-my hacking skills have got things covered, here! Okay, s-so I'll just do what I did last time, and—"

The lights revealed the scene before her—frankly, Day wasn't too surprised by what she saw.

" _Ooooooh yes!"_ came Mettaton's distinctive voice, "Good evening, beauties and gentle beauties! This is the one and only Mettaton reporting live from MTT news!"

Day searched for him, but found nothing; all she saw was a wall of some sort off the right side of the path.

Distracted, she barely noticed the bouncing ball of fire as it sprung up to her, camera balanced on its head. Despite her initial assumption, it wasn't Ropey who greeted her—this monster had a pink bow on the side of her head. She was no less devoted to filming, however, and hopped within a foot of Day.

"An interesting story has arisen in eastern Hotland, this evening!" Mettaton's voice continued, "Fortunately, our correspondent is out there, reporting to you _live!_ Oh, brave human correspondent, please find something newsworthy to report! Our ten wonderful viewers are waiting for you!"

Rather than playing along, Day made an immediate bee line for the entrance from which she'd come—only to be stopped in her tracks by a crackling blue laser.

"Oh silly," he laughed, "That won't work, now will it? You see, as per journalistic standards, a death force field surrounds the area of intrigue, so there'll be no running away from the news, this time! Springy, keep them on the ball, will you? Chop chop, darling!"

Day had no choice but to resign to the task at hand, so she returned to the main room and searched for "something newsworthy."

Items were strewn about the floor every which way, and Day glanced over each one of them with a mild curiosity. Springy hopped behind diligently, not missing a single shot of her.

What appeared to be a stack of papers caught Day's attention, and she stooped down to get a better look at the cover page.

" _Oh no!"_ Mettaton exclaimed, "That movie script! Oh, however did _that_ get there? Why, this is _quite_ unexpected, I must tell you!"

The mock surprise in his voice made Day suspect that he'd left it there for her to find, on purpose.

"And it's not merely a script—it's a super-juicy sneak preview of my latest and greatest guaranteed-not-to-bomb film: "Mettaton the Movie XXVIII", staring none other than yours truly! I've heard rumor that like the other films… it consists mostly of a single four-hour shot of rose petals showering on my reclining body! BUT, that's not confirmed yet!"

It didn't seem to Day like a movie she'd want to see, but she didn't dare admit it.

"Oh you nosy human, you! You wouldn't… *cough*… SPOIL my movie for everyone with a promotional story, would you?!"

Day carefully placed the script back down on the ground, "No, I guess not…"

"Phew! That was close! You _almost_ gave me a bunch of free advertisement! What a shame that would be! Anyway, back to searching!"

There was a brief series of yips behind her, making Day turn; a small white dog wagged its tail contently, panting.

 _DOG._

Day proceeded with all due haste over to the animal, and within seconds she was on her knees, stroking it affectionately.

"Why, what a sensational opportunity for a story!" Mettaton commented, "I can see the headline now: "A Dog Exists Somewhere!" Frankly, I'm blown away! Attention, loyal viewers, to this special news bulletin: our correspondent has found… a dog!"

Much like the artificial laughter, there came a series of touched "awww"s from a source somewhere above her, but Day hardly noticed. She was entirely focused on providing this dog with the best belly-rub he had ever experienced in his life. Judging by his hyperactive tail, she was successful.

"That's right, folks!" Mettaton went on, "It's the feel-good story of the year! Just look at the little darling! His little ears, his itsy bitsy paws, his fluffy tail, his…"

There was an abrupt halt.

"Wait a minute. That's not a tail."

Day stopped, "It's not?"

"No—it's a fuse!"

"A fuse?"

"That's right! That dog… _is a bomb!"_

Never before had Day backed away from a dog so quickly.

" _A bomb?!"_

The dog rolled onto his feet, panting obliviously. Sure enough, the tip of his white tail had begun to fizz and crackle, giving off a series of sparks.

"But don't panic!" Mettaton assured, "It gets better! Because it seems, in fact, _everything_ in this room is a bomb!"

In an instant, he had flown over the strange wall, revealing himself. He was dressed in a red suit, yellow tie, and held a microphone contently in one hand. Ropey hung happily from his other arm.

"That's right, darling! For some _odd_ reason completely independent of myself, this has turned into quite the ruse! You see, everything here—that dog, that basketball, that script, even that extremely agile and aggravating glass of water—is a bomb!" Mettaton laughed at her expense, "Isn't this an interesting development? Brave correspondent, if you don't defuse _all_ of these bombs here…" He flew over to an enormous, threatening bomb in the center of the room, "Then I'm afraid this big bomb will blow you to smithereens in _two minutes!_ If that happens, I doubt you'll be reporting _live_ for much longer!"

 _Alphys, now would be a really helpful time to call me_ , she begged, _Because I don't know what to do!_

"Oh, how terrible! How disturbing! Our nine viewers will simply _love_ watching it! That's show business, darling!" He flew over, but only to allow Springy to hop onto his other shoulder, "Well, toodles!"

Once he'd flown safely out of the blast radius, Day resorted to panicking. Half the objects had vanished from their place and were flying madly about the room, so quickly that she could barely make out what they were, anymore.

Her phone began to vibrate, and Day answered within the first ring.

"Hello?!"

"D-don't worry!" Alphys assured, just as frantic as her, "D-don't worry! Everything's under control h-here! I-I installed a bomb defusing device on your phone! All you have to d-do is—just—there should be a button on your screen when you g-get near a bomb! J-just press it! Wh-when you do, it sh-should—it should defuse the bomb, just l-like that! M-make sense? And d-don't worry! I'll try to—to, um, t-to use EM fields to c-centralize the bombs in their place, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay? W-well—g-go get them, Day! Y-you can do it!"

Day held the phone out in front of her like a remote, searching desperately for a bomb. The dog blinked at her innocently, obediently in place. No time to lose, Day ran up to him and hit the large "DEFUSE" button that appeared in the middle of her screen. There was a "ping!" of success, and his tail stopped sparking. One down.

She chased the flying basketball into a corner, where she was able to defuse another bomb. The movie script hid safely behind a series of lasers, but Day was no longer daunted by the obstacle; she crawled underneath and reached the script in record time.

"Y-you're halfway there!" Alphys' voice came through the phone, "J-just three more! T-try going up more—um, I mean—t-to your right! Th-there's—there's one up there on the c-conveyor belt!"

"Got it!"

Day rushed to the area mentioned, only to find a video game cartridge moving from side to side across the belt, practically taunting her. Day realized that unless the timing was perfect, she'd miss the bomb entirely. And she didn't exactly have time to spare, as it was. No pressure.

It took several valuable seconds, but soon, Day felt like she had the pattern down. She stood at the edge of the conveyor belt, waiting with baited breath, and when the time was right, ran out onto the moving belt. She whipped out her phone and hit the button when it popped up.

A "ping!" informed her of her success.

"Yes!" she cheered victoriously, so occupied in the feat that she disregarded the end of the belt, and was unceremoniously thrown to the stationary path.

Something zipped by inches from her face, distracting her from the pain of her plummet. An object sat in the middle of the path, literally gift-wrapped for her. She'd found the present bomb.

As soon as she defused it, Day looked around hurriedly for the final bomb.

"It-it's in the center!" Alphys blurted from her phone, "Th-the center! Hurry! Y-you can make it! J-just—hurry!"

Day almost dropped her phone with how quickly she pushed herself to her feet, breaking into a full-on sprint to cross the platform connecting her path to the main area. The aggravating glass of water sat unassumingly in the center, as if it had never left in the first place.

"I see it!" she told Alphys, "I've almost got it—"

The moment she approached, the glass of water jerked sharply to the right, just out of the range of her phone. Day took a step to pursue it, causing the ornery bomb to fly past her, threatening to lead her on another chase around the paths.

"No!" she blurted in frustration.

"S-sorry!" Alphys rushed, thinking the comment was directed at her, "I-I'm so sorry! I-I thought it was—I thought—I-I—I can get it! Hold on!"

The water came to a halt, and Day didn't give it the chance to flee again; she threw out her arm and hit the button.

It "ping!"ed, and Day sighed in relief.

"W-wow…" Alphys breathed, "W-we… we did it! W-we really did it! W-we sure showed him, huh?"

Behind Day, there was a slow, condescending clap.

"Well done, darling." Mettaton was hovering just above her, still clapping, "You've successfully deactivated all the bombs! If you didn't deactivate them, the big bomb there would've exploded in two minutes. Now it won't explode in two minutes… instead, it'll explode… _in two seconds!"_

Day was given no time to react. On cue, the giant bomb began to count down loudly: 2, 1…

…

The timer remained at 0, and refused to budge.

"… Ah. It seems the bomb isn't going off." Mettaton sounded quite disappointed, "… Well. I wonder how that happened?"

"Th-that's because!" Alphys exclaimed from Day's phone, "Wh-while you were monologing! I… I… um… f-f… f-fixed… uh, ch-cha—"

"Oh no! You deactivated the bomb with your incredible hacking skills!"

"… Y-yeah! Yeah, th-that! That's what I did!"

Mettaton held up both hands in angst, " _Curses!_ It seems I've been foiled again! Curse you, human! Curse you, Dr. Alphys, for helping so efficiently! _But_ I will never curse my eight wonderful, loyal viewers for tuning in! Until next time, darlings!" He waved theatrically, surely continuing to do so even after he'd left the scene.

Day didn't noticed until the threat had passed how hard she was breathing. She took the opportunity to sit, catching her breath. There was a slight sting centralized to the area beneath her chin, so Day reached up to feel the area—it burned, at her touch. Her fingers came away bloody, but only a little.

"Oh no…" Nothing else to do, she held the stained apron up to the scuff, hoping to stop the blood quickly.

Her phone rang, so in this awkward position, Day answered it.

"Hello?"

"HEY PUNK! I saw you totally kick that robot's butt, on the news!"

In the distance, she could clearly hear Papyrus' remark: "I love the news! It's so informative—plus, it's filled with cut-throat, explosive action! KA-WOWIE!"

"I bet Alphys was helping you out, huh?" Undyne asked, "Oh my god! You guys becoming friends—it's so cute!"

Day was shocked at the words that had just left Undyne's mouth: apparently, so was she.

"Uh, I mean, uh—I'm tough! I love to eat rocks and bend steel beams with only my pinkies! I—I gotta go!"

The moment she hung up, Alphys called.

"Oh th-thank goodness you're okay! F-for a second there, I-I didn't know if I'd b-be able to—t-to defuse it on time! B-but—but I did! S-so that's good, right? Eheheh…"

"Thank you, Dr. Alphys," Day said sincerely, "I wouldn't have made it through there without you."

She could practically feel Alphys flushing from the other end of the phone.

"Oh! N-n-no—p—problem! It's n-no pr-problem at all! R-really!" She paused, "Um, h-hey… s-so… I-I know I was… um… m-maybe a little w-weird at first. I m-mean, wh-when I first m-met you and all… b-but I really th-think I'm getting more… m-more… more confident about guiding you! S-so, d-don't even worry about that big, dumb robot; I'll protect you fr-from him! And besides, if it really c-came down to it, we could always j-just turn h— UM. I MEAN. NEVERMIND! L-LATER!"

The line went dead.

Day pocketed her phone, then felt the area beneath her chin. It still stung, but no blood rubbed off on her fingers. That was a plus. She rose to her feet, then once again, continued on ahead.

* * *

 _ **Thank you for reading! I know that this was a little bit slow... but it had to be done. Also, I may or may not have waited to write this until... what is it, now? 1:30AM? Yep. I'm a horrible person.**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm very excited for the next chapter... SPIDER TIME! MWUHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_


	21. The Itsy Bitsy SpiOHGODITTOUCHEDME!

_**... So, I guess a bit of a forewarning: it does get a teensy bit dark and maybe a smidgen violent. Not too bad, but just in case anyone is averse to things like that. At long last, IT'S SPIDER TIME!  
**_

 _ **Also, this turned out about 200% longer than I thought it would. So there's that. Still, I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

"S-so yeah, j-just keep walking!" Alphys instructed her, "Th-the next elevator—j-just press the "L3" button, okay?"

"Okay."

There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

"… Um… s-so… I noticed that you've b-been kinda quiet, lately," she commented, "Are you… are you worried about meeting King Asgore?"

Day didn't answer immediately. A hand drifted up to her arm without her noticing.

"… A little bit," she admitted.

"W-well, you don't have to worry!" Alphys assured, "The king is _such_ a nice guy! H-he's so understanding and g-goofy and patient and kind and… um… b-but anyway, I'm sure you can just t-talk to him and… w-with your human soul, you can pass through the barrier! S-so, uh… no worrying, okay? J-just forget about it and smile! Um, okay?"

Day nodded, "I will." She attempted to follow through with the advice and managed a small smile, "Thank you."

"S-sure! Also, I just remembered; y-you can… um, f-feel free to call me if you ever need a little bit of help with a puzzle! Um, I-I usually don't like j-just solving the puzzles, unless it's super hard, b-but I can still g-give you hints! S-so yeah, just call and I'll do my best to—oh! Actually, wait! I've got a better idea! Let's be friends on Undernet! That way, you can just "ping!" me when you need help!"

"Okay," Day agreed, "That's a good idea."

"Great! S-so, my username is, uh, "alphysaurus." It's like—like how a lot of dinosaurs had the "saurus" at the end? I-I thought it was funny. Um, b-but—but I didn't come up with it, though. Heh, I'm not—heheh, I'm not _that_ funny… b-but anyway, once you find me, just go to my profile page… do you see it, yet?"

"I see it," Day said, "Um… Dr. Alphys? I have a question."

"Oh? What do you need?"

"What does "LMAO" mean?"

Alphys was silent, baffled.

" _Wh-what?!"_ she practically squawked, "H-how did—h-how do you kn—where would a sweet kid like you hear something like that?!"

"You said it in one of your messages… didn't you?"

"… I… I-I…" The truth hit her like a truck, "W-wait. I already signed y-you up on Undernet, didn't I? Y-you've been—g-getting my messages th-this whole time, haven't you?!"

"… Yes?"

…

"… _Oh!"_ Her voice was no more than a squeak, "Well! Um! Good! That's… g-good! Th-that's perfectly okay!" For a while, she said nothing. "W-well! Um!... B-bye then!"

She hung up, then only seconds later, called back.

"Oh, a-and just to let you know, um… "LMAO" means… uh… it m-means "laughing my…" um, it's… "laughing my anxiety off!" Yeah, that's what it means! It's j-just a short way t-to say that you're laughing really hard!"

"Oh. Okay."

"Y-yep! Uh, n-now goodbye, f-for real! I'll just let you g-get back to… yeah. S-so! Good luck!" She hung up again.

Day made her way to the elevator, which was labeled "L2" in large red letters. It opened at her approach, so she stepped inside and pressed the "L3" button.

The elevator hummed lowly as it ascended, providing a white noise backdrop to Day's thoughts.

Toriel had painted Asgore as some cruel… well, monster. Papyrus had called him a big pushover, Alphys a kind goofball, and Undyne a skilled fighter yet… somehow gentle? She wasn't sure who to believe, anymore. She'd need to face Asgore one way or another, to make it to the barrier. Day just hoped that "meeting" was a friendly one.

Day withdrew her phone, almost subconsciously. She still had Toriel's number. How long had it been since she'd left the ruins? She'd only slept once since then, at Sans and Papyrus' house, but it felt like it'd been several days, at least. The thought made her realize just how exhausted she was; her limbs ached, and her head felt fuzzy from exertion and the heat. Day rubbed her eyes to be rid of the sensation, but it made little difference.

She was reminded of the phone. Toriel's number was there, displayed on the screen. Day longed to hear her voice again, but still, she didn't call.

 _What if she forgot about me?_

Day dismissed the thought instantly; _Toriel wouldn't forget me! Never!_

 _What if she did?_

 _She wouldn't!_

 _Why wouldn't she?_

 _Because… because she loves me…_

 _Does she?_

This time, Day forced the mental conversation to an end; she was almost afraid of the conclusion she might reach.

The phone in her hand began to ring, and for a brief second, she allowed herself to hope that maybe—

It wasn't Toriel.

She answered regardless, "Hello?"

"Hello human Day! How are you? Are you still in Hotland? If so, where are you in Hotland? And do you need any more fantastic advice from the fantastic and great Papyrus?"

"Uh… hold on: hello, I'm good, I'm still in Hotland, I'm in an elevator, and no, not right now, but thank you."

"An elevator? Which elevator?"

"L2, I think?"

"L2? What does the "L" stand for?"

Undyne cut in from his end, "Well the "R" ones stand for "red," because the lights are red. So "L"'s gotta be… uh… light green!"

"Oh! Of cou—wait, isn't that two words?"

Another voice joined in, "Light sea green."

"Sans, three words don't fix the issue!"

"Gotcha: light sea foam green. And hey, kid. You're not still scared of spiders, are you?"

"Spiders? Why—"

"Four doesn't make it better either, Sans!"

"Light Mediterranean sea fo—"

"SANS!"

Sans' unmistakable cackle was heard before the line went dead. Day couldn't help but smile… just a little bit.

The elevator sounded and slid open, allowing Day to exit.

This area… was very different from the others. An unsettling "different."

Instead of being lit by the same warm red glow as the rest of Hotland, the area was completely engulfed in shadow, giving the path a purplish hue. Day glanced over the side of the path to discover the area was suspended hundreds of feet above the ground floor of Hotland. It gave a dizzying effect, so Day backed away from the edge with all due haste.

As she continued forward, devoutly in the center, a small stand came into view. It didn't have a roof like Sans' sentry stations, and was vacant an operator.

A green monster was seated across from it, legs dangled over the side of the path. He was staring into space, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. A purple donut was sitting in his lap, untouched.

Day thought it best not to bother him, and passed without a word.

It was with much disappointment that she beheld the next room: vents with arrows, platforms full of them. They stretched on for several feet, leading off to the sides as well as ahead. She had a bad feeling those paths to the left and right led to more puzzles, and her heart sank.

But it had to be done. Day gathered her determination and began the puzzle, riding the first vent forward.

Her phone began to "ping!" several times in quick succession, so Day stopped at the first platform to read the flood of messages.

alphysaurus: OH! look at that!

alphysaurus: some puzzles just deactivated themselves!

alphysaurus: whaaaaat? weird! guess the human! won't have to solve them! in order to move forward! V.V

alphysaurus: oh noooooooo!

 _… Oh. I guess I don't have to solve them, now._ Immensely relived, Day focused on making it to the other end of the path directly in front of her. The vents varied in placement, so she found herself leaping in circles around the puzzle.

It took several minutes of random vent-jumping, but at long last, she reached the path.

Day let out a breath, then tried to catch it again. She wiped the film of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand; that task certainly hadn't helped cool her down. Day swallowed in an attempt to quell her parched throat—she should have taken water from the cooler, while she had the chance.

 _It's a little too late to go back, now. Better keep going._

She took another breath, a full and energizing one this time, and complied.

The path grew dark… darker… yet darker still. Day was having a hard time seeing the ground in front of her, and just hoped she wouldn't slip up and plummet back to the floor of Hotland.

A wall become visible, smooth and plain, with a simple doorway in the center. Day stepped inside cautiously and continued to walk forward. She could almost distinguish the outline of small, silhouetted objects hiding in the shadows; they were silvery against the black backdrop, but so close together and numerous, Day had no guess what she was looking at.

Soon, however, she paused. The path felt… weird. Day took a few experimental steps to confirm the observation.

 _It's… smushy?_

Indeed, the material gave slightly under her weight; it almost seemed to stick to her shoes as she picked up her foot to take another step. It was like a sticky bounce house. Day stooped down to feel the path with her hand—

"Aieeeee!" she shrieked, recoiling in horror.

 _Something touched me!_

Behind her, there was a high-pitched giggle, accompanied by several more of its kind.

Day spun around fearfully, "H-hello?"

There was another giggle, somewhat muffled, "Ahuhuhu…"

It echoed around the room, giggles coming from every corner. There was nowhere for her to retreat—Day was surrounded.

"H-hello? Who's th-there?"

"Ahuhuhu… remember what they said, dearies? They said a human with a stained apron will come through here…"

 _Oh no._

"I heard they _hate_ spiders… I heard they love to stomp on them. I heard they like to _tear their legs off…"_

The voice was in front of her—something was moving around in the darkness. Day continued to back up, a shaky step at a time, scanning the shadows.

" _I heard…"_

Silence.

The only sound came from Day's shaky breathing as she searched frantically, eyes darting side to side like a caged animal. Her heart hammered in her ears, threatening to burst.

Still, there was silence.

…

Day's shoulders were clasped by a pair of thin hands.

"… that they're awfully stingy with their money!"

Day went rigid, at the mercy of the unseen speaker. But to her surprise, the hands released their hold, slid down the length of her arms, then clenched again at her wrists.

"Ahuhuhu!" her captor giggled, the sound still muffled somehow, "You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie?" Her voice was whispered directly into Day's ear, so close it tickled, "Ahuhu… I disagree with that notion. I think your taste…"

Another pair of hands were placed on Day's waist, and she was spun around to face the speaker.

A monster her height, a girl with bobbed hair and short pigtails, flashed her a sly smile—a smile filled with fangs. She winked with at least three eyes.

"… is exactly what this next batch needs!"

Day beheld her speechlessly, terrified. This girl… was some sort of…

 _SPIDER!_

The girl's smile widened, "Why so pale, my dear? There's no need to fear…" All five of her eyes twinkled mischievously, " _Well…_ perhaps there is. But you should be proud! Proud that you are going to make one _delicious_ cake!"

Day's only thought was to evade the girl's grasp; she struggled, but it made little difference. The monster girl laughed at her once again, covering her mouth modestly with a third pair of hands.

"Oh! But how terribly rude of me to forget!" She shook Day's hand, though Day was given little choice in the matter, "Miss Muffet, dearie. And oho… have _we_ heard about you…"

"W-w-we?" Day squeaked.

Muffet laughed, mouth covered, "Ahuhuhu… why of course! I would never keep such an elaborate parlor to myself!"

It was then, as the strange silhouettes began to writhe and shift, that Day realized what she was surrounded by.

Spiders of every size scurried down the webbing, dangled at the ends of strands extended from the ceiling, and gathered around Muffet like an army. With a yelp, Day finally freed herself from Muffet's hold and retreated—only to be stopped in her tracks by a wall of webs, swarming with spiders.

Muffet giggled, "Oh, silly dear! You won't be getting out that way, I can assure you!"

Day spun around to face her, a new sort of panic setting in.

"Pl-please—" Day begged, already desperate for an escape, "L-let me go—"

"Let you go? Why ever would I do that?" Muffet allowed a wave of smaller spiders to crawl up her arms, decorating her purple skin like polka dots, "After all, your soul is going to make a _lot_ of spiders very happy."

"A-are you—" Day was nearly choking on her voice, "G-going to eat me?"

Muffet just flashed her that same seductive smile, "Mm… we'll see, dearie. Though perhaps a little… _bribe_ would help me make up my mind…"

"B-but I don't have any—" She stopped the sentence short, remembering. Day fished around in her pocket and withheld the gold coin a moment, reconsidering.

 _It's not technically yours to give away,_ her conscience pestered, but the mental dilemma was short-lived—Day held out the coin to Muffet, several feet away.

"Th-this is all I have. I promise!"

A fuzzy spider about the size of her hand lowered itself to snatch the coin, then swung over to Muffet obediently. She examined the coin, almost hungrily.

"I see…" Her tone was unreadable, "In that case, it's only fair to be merciful and give you a sporting chance…" The teasing smile returned, "I'll only send out a _few_ spiders to trap you!"

She waved her hand, and with an awful sound like the clicks and clamor of a thousand little legs, a mass of spiders rushed towards her.

Day actually screamed, gripped with terror. She fled the spiders in a blind panic, stumbling hopelessly through whatever lied before her in the darkness. Dozens of spiders webs streaked across her face, and she wiped them off hastily, afraid they contained their fair share of spider inhabitants.

She ran out of breath quicker than normal, throat burning painfully. Still Day pressed on, no end in sight.

Directly behind her, there was another clear giggle.

"Going somewhere, dearie?"

Muffet had caught up easily, suspended above Day like a delicate dancer, smiling widely.

"How adorable," she commented, her tone sugary sweet, "Your effort is charming, dearie. It almost makes me want to spare you… oh, but I couldn't possibly do that!" Muffet lowered herself a little, dangling upside down to be at eye-level, "You know what I'm going to do instead? I'm going to send out a few more spiders! Ahuhuhu! Have fun, dearie!"

They poured down from above, launching themselves from the ceiling. Day covered her face, feeling the little fuzzy bodies scurry across her skin.

Panting and yelping, she brushed off as many as she could, from her hands and her arms, then roughly from her hair. She stumbled backwards, trying to evade this spider shower, and nearly missed the fact that there was no longer anything beneath her feet.

"NOOO—!"

Day managed to latch onto a strand of webbing, bringing her free-fall to an abrupt halt. There was only blackness below her.

She didn't remember pulling herself back onto solid ground (or as solid as the webs could get), but found herself there, hardly able to stand. Her legs shook from fear, she could barely catch her breath, her thoughts were jumbled—she had to get out. But where was the exit? Day couldn't see one anywhere—just more webs. She had to get out—somehow—

Muffet was in front of her again, giggling. She had a pink teacup in one hand, a matching teapot in the other.

"You know, it's funny," she commented, giggling in between her words, "The person who warned us about you… ahuhuhu… he offered us a _lot_ of money for your soul. And… ahuhuhu! The dear had such a charming smile…" Muffet's laughter again arose, and for the first time, she didn't bother covering her mouth. "I didn't even find it odd when he slipped off into the shadows without another word… and seemed to… change shape…"

Day had no clue who she was referring to, but was in no state of mind to think of asking.

"Pl-please—please, j-just let me go—"

"Oho! Well my my, would you just look at the time!" Muffet withdrew an ornate watch from the pocket of her breeches, "Why, it's past lunch! And wouldn't you know, I've completely forgotten to feed my precious pet!" She whistled loudly, "Oooooh Cupcake! Mummy's calling you, dearie!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to buckle, and Day was forced to latch onto a pillar of webs to remain upright. Something was barreling forth from the shadows… something huge.

Two bright red lights flashed in the distance, and a low, guttural growl was heard. The shaking of the webs became more intense as it grew closer. Day had to crane her neck to spot the lights, now.

And that's when she realized…

They weren't lights at all. They were two glowing red eyes.

Day could just make out the shape of the beast; it had to be at least twenty feet tall, maybe double that size across. It was an enormous, brown spider.

Muffet reached out to pet it affectionately with all six hands, "Hello there, my angel! Mummy's got the perfect little snack for you, darling!"

It was enough to send Day sprinting into the darkness, refusing to look back. The webs began to jostle again, and she had a feeling it wasn't caused by her.

She could feel the creature's breath as it huffed, tailing her at full speed. It was too fast. Day didn't stand a chance.

Whether it was from a mound of spiders, a gap in the webbing, or her own exhaustion, Day couldn't tell—but the next thing she knew, she was face-down on the ground, earning a mouth full of spider webs.

She spat them out in disgust and hurried to return to her feet—

Something was stabbed into her right leg, through the pants and into her flesh. Day cried out in a mixture of pain and fear. Whatever the object was, it deepened as she was jerked backwards, directly underneath the giant spider.

Pain clouded her reason, and she kicked out with both legs in a desperate attempt to free herself. The left struck something soft, but the right flared up like fire as her movement forced the spider's fangs deeper still into her calf.

Her pained cry was overshadowed by its yelp, and the spider jerked away, releasing her leg and scurrying back to Muffet.

"My poor sweet baby!" Muffet exclaimed, rushing to soothe her startled pet, "Oh my sweet little Cupcake—did that awful human hurt you?!"

Day instinctively tucked the leg up to her chest, trying to stop the pain. It scorched powerfully, unlike any pain she'd experienced before. So strong, Day's senses began to fail; she couldn't feel the gaping hole in her pant leg, or the blood intermingling with a strange purple substance as it oozed down her shin.

Panic was the only thing driving her forward, fueling her with the determination to crawl to her feet and try to flee, once again.

She'd only made it a few feet when the pain became unbearable—every step she took resulted in a shockwave of agony, jolting her entire body with the magnitude of it. Day tried to push ahead, but her knee refused to bend. It added fresh fear to her panicked state; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move it, as if it was paralyzed.

Once again, the world began to spin around her. Sounds became muted, and she felt nauseous. Her heart was beating rapidly in her ears—too fast. Something was horribly wrong.

Day tried to move, just a single step, and found herself stumbling forward. She could make out a swarm of blackness beginning to work its way up her legs—the spiders had caught up, and were coming in for the kill. She tried to swat them away, but even controlling her arms now seemed futile. Day could only watch as the layer of spiders rose, passing her knees.

There was no longer reason: only despair.

"H-H-Help!" she cried out desperately, not even aware she was doing so, "Help! HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE!"

The spiders rose to her waist. Day could feel nothing: no pain, no exhaustion. Only dizziness remained, and it was threatening to drag her down.

"SOMEONE HELP!" she pleaded hoarsely, screaming loud enough to be heard from a mile away.

But no one came.

In between her continued cries, a thought became prevalent, and it did not leave.

 _I'm going to die, aren't I?_

All feeling was beginning to vanish. Day no longer considered the advancing spiders, nor anything else around her. Everything was beginning to blur, almost dream-like. Her head was light, as if it was floating away from her body. Slowly too, her thoughts began to fade with it.

 _This is it… I couldn't make it…_

Day's knees made contact with the webs.

 _I couldn't make it home…_

Her hands fell limply, and spiders scurried up them, as well.

 _I let everyone down…_

They were up to her shoulders, now.

 _I'm going to die like this…_

Spiders swarmed at the base of her neck.

 _I'm going to die…_

Still, no one came. The first spider set foot on her cheek.

 _I'm…_

The last thing she saw was the world tilting sideways as she slumped forward, eyes going dark before she hit the ground.

 _Help…_

* * *

 _…ay? Day, can you hear me?!_

The voice was far away, and she could barely make out the simple words.

 _Day?! Oh, please be okay! Please, y-you have to be okay!_

Bit by bit, feeling returned. Day felt it in her fingers, down her body, to her—

She cringed, and the pain erupted like a minefield. It went off in her head, her stomach… but her leg outshined the rest. It felt like someone was holding a torch to it, eating away at the skin. It was enough to bring her back to the real world, flinching and moaning weakly.

"—ay?! DAY?! ARE YOU AWAKE?!"

The sensations began to intensify; her dizziness turned to extreme nausea, her headache into a crushing migraine. Even the pain in her leg found ways to reach new heights. Day's cry of protest was brief, but stronger this time.

"DAY! D-DAY YOU'RE AWAKE! OH THANK GOD—THANK GOD YOU'RE ALRIGHT! F-FOR A MINUTE THERE I-I THOUGHT—I THOUGHT YOU WERE—"

Day tried to open her eyes and found the room oddly dark. It was freezing; she shook violently, beyond her control, though a sheen of sweat was evident across her bare skin. Someone was sitting beside her while she laid on… a bed?

The speaker held something shiny in one hand while they wiped their eyes with the other, a mixture of yellow and stark white. It took much longer than necessary for Day to make the connection.

"A… A… Al… phys?" she rasped, unable to find her voice at first.

"Y-y-yep! It's—it's me!" It sounded like she tried to laugh, but was unsuccessful. "I… oh! I guess I should say, before anything else—y-you don't have to worry! Y-you're safe here! Uh, s-safe in the lab! S-so you don't have to be afraid of anything! Y-you're, uh… alright! Alright?"

 _The lab…_

Memories of the fight and her own agonizing collapse flooded back, and Day was unable to handle the sensation; she crushed her temples with tight fists, trying to force it down again.

"N-n-no—d-don't hurt—"

"H-hey! D-don't worry!" Alphys reached out to comfort her, but withdrew her hands quickly, "D-don't worry! I s-said you're safe! N-no one's going to hurt you h-here! It's safe!"

The information seeped in at a slow rate, and it felt like hours before Day finally understood. The moment she did, the tension in her body released—and something began to boil threateningly within her stomach.

"Al—phys." Day tried to sit up, still at the mercy of her condition, "I—need to—" She clasped a hand over her mouth on instinct, the burn arising in her throat.

Alphys seemed to understand the gesture, and with a squeak of urgency, scurried away. She returned with a small wastebasket, shoved it in Day's awaiting arms—

And Day emptied the contents of her stomach into it.

As if her dry throat wasn't painful enough, the added acids didn't exactly soothe the sensation. Without knowing why, Day started to cry, unable to control herself. She continued to vomit, a literal and emotional mess.

This time, Alphys did not withdraw from her instincts; she put an arm around Day's shoulders, patting her back with the free hand.

"It—it's okay," she assured gently, "It's—don't be scared! I-I know it's not fun… j-just get it all out…"

Day involuntarily continued until she was dry-heaving—at least now, she was no longer nauseous. Miserable, but not nauseous.

"There," Alphys said, taking away the trash can when Day was ready, "D-doesn't that feel a l-little better?"

 _No._

"I'm s-sorry," she whimpered, trying to stifle the crying.

"Oh! D-don't—you don't have to be sorry!" Alphys assured, almost laughing, "It's not your fault at all! D-don't feel bad about it! I—h-how does your leg feel?"

"H—hurts," she was able to force out.

"W-well, that makes sense," Alphys commented, "I-I had to bandage it up a lot, t-to make sure it stopped bleeding…"

Day glanced down at her leg; the pants were rolled up to reveal a mass of white, wrapped time and time again around everything below her knee. A small patch seemed to be splotched red.

"Y-you've got a really bad fever," Alphys informed her, "In case you couldn't tell that already. I-I think the venom caused that, b-but luckily, y-you didn't seem to get too much of it! S-so, y-you'll have to rest for a while, until th-the—until your fever goes away. And, um, your leg is probably going to really hurt… f-for a while… b-but again, don't worry! Th-that should get better, too!"

Day's head was beginning to swim again, so she struggled to pay attention.

"S-so, um, if it's okay with you, um, y-you can go ahead and stay here!" Alphys offered, "I-I know it might not be the most… um… homey, b-but… h-hey, you're shaking a lot—are you okay?"

"C-cold," she stammered.

"You're cold? R-really? I would think with your fever, you'd be—b-but, obviously you know you better than me, r-right? Eheh… h-here, you can—maybe l-lay down again…"

Alphys eased her back onto the bed, then draped a fluffy blue blanket over Day's shivering form.

"Th-there you go! Th-that should help!"

Day clutched it unknowingly, clinging to the warmth.

"Th—th—thank—y—"

"Oh, it's no problem!" Alphys assured, "D-don't even worry about it! Y-you just stay here, a-and try to get better, okay?"

She could only nod, hoping it was caught. Safely embraced by a pillow, Day's dizziness took hold, and her eyes slid shut…

* * *

Day's gurgling stomach woke her up several hours later. This time, it wasn't threatening to erupt; it was just empty. Her head presented less of an obstacle than before, so Day was able to sit up almost painlessly.

The room was still freezing, and Day was shivering before she knew it. As tempted as she was to wrap herself in the enormous blanket, burrito-style for mobile warmth, Day resisted. It wasn't hers; she didn't want to get it dirty.

She threw back the covers to access the sweater at her waist… only to find it wasn't there.

Day searched all around, under the furthest corner of the blanket and beneath every pillow, but produced nothing. Both her sweater and apron were missing, nowhere to be found.

"Oh no…" she breathed, facing the realization that it was lost: probably for good, this time. Who knew where it was, now? It could've been torn up by the spiders, or maybe it fell into the endless abyss below the webs, or…

There were tears stinging at her eyes, and almost stubbornly, Day rubbed them out.

 _Don't cry about it,_ she ordered herself roughly, _Stop being a baby. It's just a stupid sweater._

 _...No it's not._

Once the tears had been stifled, Day swallowed forcefully, made once again aware of the dryness.

 _Okay, just think,_ she instructed, _maybe… maybe Alphys knows where it is—just go ask her about it._

The advice proved sound enough, so Day followed through with it. She swung her legs over the side of the bed—

"Ow!" she hissed, completely forgetting about the leg. Alphys had done… well, a generous job with the bandaging. It covered the area just below her knee all the way down to her heel, wrapped so tightly that her ankle remained firmly in place. Day wasn't sure how big the injury truly was; frankly, the entire area hurt an equal amount.

Her shoes were gone, and Day didn't feel much like searching for them. She lowered her left foot to the tile floor, feeling the coldness, and then gingerly set weight on her right.

It stung… then leveled out. Day attempted to stand, placing her hands on the bed. She kept weight primarily on her left leg, performing a shaky balancing act. There was a doorway on the opposite wall, closest to her, so Day did her best to hobble over to it without support.

Through the doorway was a set of metal stairs, leading down into the main lab. Day couldn't help but sigh; this would not be fun.

Clutching the handrail on the wall, Day took a cautious step with her injured leg—

And the stairs jerked to life, beginning to lower her to the ground floor. Day somehow managed to remain on her feet, caught off guard. They weren't stairs at all; it was an escalator. That was a nice surprise.

When she reached the bottom, the escalator stopped, allowing her to step off easily. The lab was completely dark, save for the blueish glow of a computer screen. It was eerily quiet, and Alphys was nowhere to be found.

Day limped to the desk where the computer sat, displaying a blank log-in screen. She didn't want to snoop into Alphys' private files, so she left it alone. There were papers scattered all over the desk, along with opened pens, empty soda cans, and styrofoam cups reading "Insta-Noodles!"

Alphys was a little… er, _unsystematic._

Just then, a door slid open somewhere. Day jumped, causing her unexpected pain, and she yelped.

Alphys yelped too, "AAAH! Wh-who's—" She spotted Day quickly, "… O-oh! It's just you! Eheh… h-heh, wh-who else would it be, right? Uh, s-so, how's your leg?"

"It's… sore," she answered, minimizing the true extent of the pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Alphys replied in sympathy, "B-but at least you can walk around! At least a l-little, right? S-so that's… good…" There was an awkward pause, "… Um… d-did you… n-need anything?"

Day opened her mouth to answer, but there was no need; her stomach growled loudly. She wrapped an arm around her middle, trying to stifle the sound in embarrassment.

"Oh! Are you hungry?" Alphys deduced, "I-I can get you something, if you want! I just—the fridge is right over here! Uh, hold on a second!" She dashed over to the fridge, opened the door, and perused its contents.

"Um… I don't think soda would be very good," she remarked, mostly to herself, "Let's see, there's… that would probably be too sugary… now that's _definitely_ too spicy… um… w-well, this might… be okay…" Alphys withdrew an Insta-Noodles cup, "I-I have these? They, um, sh-shouldn't be too strong… on your stomach, I mean! Um, is th-this okay?"

Day nodded quietly.

"Alright, p-perfect!" She took it and a pitcher of water from the fridge, shutting the door with her hip, "Here, there should be a hot-plate under all this… th-this mess here…" Trying to balance the objects in her arms, Alphys shuffled around the papers on her desk until she found what she was looking for.

"Aha! Here it is!" She cleared everything off the hot-plate and turned it on. Next, Alphys pulled the paper flap off the top of the noodle cup, but only halfway. She poured water into the cup, replaced the paper flap, and set it on the hot-plate.

"Um… it'll take a few minutes… t-to get warmed up, all the way."

Day hardly heard her, unaware that she was staring at the water pitcher with the utmost attention.

Alphys was confused for a moment, but followed her gaze shortly after, "Oh! You're—you're probably really thirsty, aren't you? Of course you would be—ugh, I didn't even think of that! I'm so sorry! I—here, hold on!"

In a matter of seconds, Alphys had collected a yellow mug from her desk, checked its cleanliness, and was filling it with water.

"H-here you go!" She passed it to Day, "S-sorry! I didn't even think about it! J-just—don't be afraid to ask next time, okay?"

She nodded briefly before downing the water, quenching the burn of her throat at long last.

Alphys stood a bit awkwardly again, "… Um… ac-actually… um, Asgore got me that mug. H-he said he saw it and thought of me…"

Day examined the yellow mug; it had a mustache on the front, placed so that every time she took a drink, it sat directly below her nose. She giggled at this.

"Y-yeah," Alphys commented, "He—he got a laugh out of that."

Considerably more comfortable, Day remembered her plan, "Um, Alphys? Do you know where my sweater went?"

"Y-your sweater?"

"It's purple and pink striped… uh, I had around my waist earlier, but I can't find it now…?"

Alphys drummed her fingers together, thinking, "Um… I don't… I'm not sure I-I know. I don't think I saw it, wh-when I found you outside—"

"Found me outside?"

"Oh! D-do you not know—er, I mean… d-do you remember… how you got here?"

Day shook her head, "No… I was covered in spiders, and then…" She struggled to remember anything more, but the memories she retained were not helpful. A feeling of residual dread began to form a pit in her stomach, and a hand itched to shield her arm from an imaginary threat.

"W-well, that's okay if you don't remember!" Alphys quickly interrupted, as if she could sense the oncoming emotions, "All I know is that—well, I was about to go to bed, s-so I was turning off the monitors, and—and I noticed that I couldn't see you anywhere! I-I'd seen you at the vent puzzle before, b-but… I had no idea where you'd gone! S-so, while I was looking for you, someone knocked at the front lab door. So I went and opened it, b-but didn't see anyone! Or—or I thought no one was there, anyway, until I looked down and—w-well, you were, um, on the ground. A-and you didn't say anything when I t-talked to you, s-so I thought—something bad happened. S-so, um, I just—brought you in here!" She thought for a moment, "Um, I-I don't think… I don't think you had your sweater with you, then. B-but I'm not sure… s-sorry!"

"It's okay," Day assured, "Thank you for helping me."

"Oh, n-no problem! Yeah! Still… I wonder how you got here, though? I-I mean, th-there's no way you could've walked all the way from Muffet's web to here…"

Day was as clueless as her, and shrugged to say as much.

Alphys checked the Insta-Noodles, "Um, still… a f-few more minutes left…"

Silence returned. Day quietly sipped her water, Alphys let her eyes wander aimlessly.

…

"S-so."

Day returned her attention to Alphys, "Yes?"

Pink had arisen in Alphys' cheeks, impossible to miss, "S-so, um, th-this is totally random, but… um… h-hey?"

"Yes?"

"D-do you think, uh, sometime while you're here… if y-you're ever, um, b-bored enough, you'd want to… maybe… w-watch a sort of… human TV show w-with me? Maybe? Um, it's c-called… um…" Her voice lowered drastically, "… "M-M-Mew Mew Kissy Cutie"?"

Day cocked her head slightly, "What's it about?"

"Oh, w-well, it's actually really c-cool—it l-looks like it's for kids, since it's animated, b-but there's actually a lot of um, d-deep messages in it, too! It's my all-time favorite show! Um, s-so it's all about this human girl named Mew Mew who has pink cat ears! Wh-which humans don't have! S-so, she's like, all sensitive about them—but eventually she realizes that her ears don't matter! That all her friends like her, despite her ears! It's really moving, and—whoops! I-I just spoiled a huge part of it!"

"B-but anyway—s-so this part sounds weird, but she has a superpower that lets her control the mind of anyone she kisses! S-so she kisses people and has them solve all her problems! And the funny part is, um, they don't remember being controlled afterwards, so she keeps doing it! B-BUT! IF SHE MISSES THE KISS! OHMYGOD! Then—uh—I mean—and also—"

Alphys was babbling almost incoherently, trying to get her thoughts back on track.

"And—and of course eventually, she realizes that controlling people is—OKAY WELL I almost gave away the whole show there! Ahaha that would've been bad!" She laughed a little, then quieted once she caught sight of Day's bewildered expression, "Um… s-so yeah… if y-you ever want… we could… w-watch it… sometime... I guess…"

It took Day a moment to collect herself after the explosion of passion from Alphys' end, but eventually, she was able to speak.

"I would like that."

Alphys' sunken demeanor vanished instantly, "Y-you would? Really?!"

Day nodded, "It sounds fun."

"A-awesome! W-wow! Really, that's—I-I hoped you would—I thought you might just—um, c-cool! I—I have all th-three seasons on VHS! Um, w-we can watch it on the monitor—if y-you're not t-too tired, I mean?"

There was no way Day could say no to her excitement—and besides, she was hyped up, now. They had never been able to watch much more than a choice few Disney movies, and in typical Disney princess fashion, she longed for more.

"No, I'm not too tired."

"Great! I'll—I'll go get them now! J-just a minute!" A door slid open at her approach, and Alphys rushed into the next room.

On the hot-plate, water had begun to boil over, sizzling when it touched the scorching surface; Alphys had forgotten about it completely. Day didn't mind.

* * *

Within the first three episodes, Day knew the show's theme song by heart. And after three more, she and Alphys had begun to sing along with it.

Alphys was not exaggerating in her praise of the show.

Day was curled up inside the blue blanket, holding the Insta-Noodles cup to her chest; it created a sort of canopy of pleasant-smelling steam. Alphys was in the same position, clutching an enormous purple pillow; she wore a pair of fluffy white bunny slippers (Day liked them even better than Sans' plain pink pair).

They finished the first season that night, but Day dozed off when Alphys rose to switch the tapes. She awoke in bed the next day.

For the first time since entering the underground, she could keep track of the days as they passed. Her "morning person" persona seemed to wear off, as she slept until 11 most of the time. The fever died down bit by bit, but she was constantly cold; every time she shivered, she was reminded of the lost sweater, but tried to ignore the thought.

Alphys would disappear into the same room at least twice a day: the time she stayed ranged from seconds to hours. But each time she emerged, she made sure to check on Day.

When Alphys wasn't working, she invited Day to watch anime with her again. Day never tired of the activity—she never knew how entertaining cartoons truly were.

They finished Mew Mew Kissy Cutie the very next day, and moved on the special hour-long episodes that were kept on two separate VHS tapes. The first was just as good as the show itself, but when the second one rolled around…

"—no one seems to get that it ruins Mew Mew's entire character arc!" Alphys blurted in the middle of a quiet scene, "How could anyone like "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2: Too Cutie!" better than the original?! GAH!"

 _It seems okay to me…_ she thought, but kept it to herself. Clearly, Alphys saw something that she had missed.

Their cartoon marathon continued to other shows: "Sally Galaxy," "Anti-gravity Springs," "Help! My Roommate's a Snake!" and a strange series called "Pow Pow Panda Power Hour." The characters, a bunch of martial-art fighting pandas, talked in a language Day had never heard before. As a result, she was completely lost within five minutes of the first episode.

"What did he say?" Day asked Alphys in a whisper, not wanting to talk over the show.

"He said, "You are not strong enough to defeat me, Akiko"!" Alphys translated, with just as much passion as the panda that had spoken.

Akiko responded, and again, Day looked to Alphys for a translation.

Alphys donned a deep, booming voice to match Akiko's and shook a fist, "I am stronger than you realize! I will defeat you for the murder of my father! Prepare to die!"

Day frowned, "Well that's not very nice."

"… W-well… n-no, not really…" Alphys paused awkwardly, "… B-but, well… sometimes maybe… r-revenge could be warranted? Right?"

She scrunched up her nose in consideration, "… I don't know. He could always… forgive him? Maybe Hiroshi feels guilty about it and wants to apologize? Akiko should at least give him a chance to try."

Alphys gave her an interesting look, "… Maybe… I'm not really sure Hiroshi wants to apologize, though…"

Day nodded, agreeing, "I don't think so either. But Akiko shouldn't kill him, anyway. He can still change his mind and act better, when he sees that Akiko spares him. Right?"

"… Maybe." Alphys laughed a bit, as if she'd heard something funny. Day wasn't sure what she'd said that was so amusing.

Alphys' work comprised of watching the giant monitor in the lab, assuring no trouble was caused.

"Sometimes the core acts up," she explained one day, "And its effects are present all throughout the underground. Most of the time, it's just little fluctuations of temperature, and they can be easily fixed. Nothing serious! But just in case it really goes haywire, someday…" Alphys' voice drifted off, and she forced it into a laugh, "Well, thankfully that's never happened!"

Day longed to further the topic, but Alphys' attention was drawn to something on the screen, making her giggle.

"Oh, l-look!" She pointed out a Snowdin monitor, near the forest outside Sans and Papyrus' house, "They're—they're doing it again."

Undyne had flown through the air and tackled Papyrus to the ground, both screaming.

"SNOW WRESTLING!" Undyne whooped, "I WIN AGAIN!"

Face-down in the snow, Papyrus tried to wriggle out of her hold, "AT LEAST GIVE ME A WARNING, UNDYNE! SNEAK ATTACKS AREN'T FAIR!"

Undyne scoffed, "They're totally fair, if you know they're coming!"

"BUT THEN IT'S NOT A SNEAK ATTACK!"

"But you _know_ I use sneak attacks, so it's fair!"

"Oh yeah?!" Papyrus scooped up a snowball and pelted Undyne with it.

She yelped, an incredibly high-pitched sound, "PAPYRUS! NO FAIR! THAT'S COLD!"

"But you _know_ there is snow around us!" Papyrus retorted, "So it's fair! Nyeheheh!"

The screaming began again, Undyne's a passionate war-cry, Papyrus' one of true terror.

"NO UNDYNE PLEASE NO MORE SNOW WRESTLING!" He sprinted out of view of the camera, "DON'T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!"

Undyne cackled as she pursued him, fully planning to continue their battle.

Day was laughing, clutching her sides while doing so. Alphys was laughing too, but… softer. She seemed to be distracted by something else. Her cheeks were bright pink, for some reason.

* * *

"—and that's how you make a laser gun in ten simple steps!" Alphys concluded, showing the completed project. Day stared down at her jumble of wires and circuit-boards, lost.

Alphys had brought out a dusty cardboard box from the room she spent time in, saying it was a bunch of junk she'd never gone through, before. They found some old shirts that looked about Day's size, school textbooks with matching workbooks, and—the item of interest—a box of electrical parts.

Alphys had set right to work, teaching Day about electrical currents and machinery, all the while constructing a small laser gun that she now displayed proudly.

"That's really cool!" Day told her, "You made it so fast!"

"Well, j-just practice, I guess!" she reasoned, "It takes a while to really… get handy with it, and all. How are you doing on yours?"

Day held up her unwieldy mess of a project, "Not so good."

She laughed, "Don't worry, you're getting it! Here, let me see…" Alphys mulled over the amalgamation of wires, "Hm… maybe if…" She moved a few around, "That's better, at least. Now if I just connect there two… and this should definitely power this plate here… and…"

A light on the top of the circuit board blinked, and a chime went off to match.

"Tada!" Alphys said, "Got it! Heh, it's not quite as fun as Papyrus' puzzles in Snowdin, but… well, it's still a little fun, right?"

Day nodded, "Just hard."

"Yeah, maybe it's a little complex... but don't worry! You were halfway there! You just had the input wires switched, and the diodes here were… um, well. It's really good for a first try! Really!"

She just nodded, still in amazement, "You're really smart."

"W-well—th-thank you! I-I—that's n-nice of you to say!" Alphys was clearly flustered, "I—th-thanks, Day! B-but of course, y-you're really smart too!"

Day figured the compliment was only to match hers, "Not really. I'm not good at math or science or anything like that."

"Oh, b-but that doesn't make you not smart! I'm s-sure there's lots of things you're good at! Like, um… w-well… d-do you have any special talents?"

"I don't think so."

"O-oh? Well… um… can you… d-do you play sports?"

"No."

"Okay, no sports… um… do you… play an instrument, maybe?"

Day hesitated, "… I can play the piano. But just a little bit."

"Oh, really? Hey, Undyne can play the piano, too! Y-you guys should totally do a duet, sometime! It would be great!"

She smiled a little, "Yeah."

"S-so, see? You're smart at piano playing! So what if you're not a genius at boring old math and science?" Alphys refused to reveal how much those blasphemous words shamed her, "Y-you're good at other things! I mean, everyone's good at something! You just gotta find what that something is!"

Day paid close attention, sure she was getting valuable life advice from the conversation.

"Okay," she replied, "That makes sense. Thank you, Alphys."

"Any time!"

There was a pause as Alphys fiddled with her new laser gun, and Day carefully observed the fixed circuit-board to determine her previous mistakes.

"… Um… Day?"

"Yes?"

Alphys was still holding the laser gun, but not paying attention to it. She wasn't even looking at Day as she spoke.

"So… th-this may sound a little bit strange, but… c-can I tell you something?" She hesitated, "Something kinda… personal?"

Day put down the circuit-board, "Okay."

"Okay, well… here it goes." There was a long intake of breath, "B-before I met you, um, to be completely honest, I didn't really…" She started to wring her hands, "I-I didn't really… um… l-li… like myself. Very much. Or at all. "

There was a long pause. Day did not interrupt. She only stared.

Still, Alphys did not look at her, "F-for a long time, I f-felt like… l-like a total screw-up. L-like I couldn't do anything right… like I c-couldn't do anything without… l-let… without letting everybody down. A-and so, I… I d-didn't do a lot, because… b-because I didn't want p-people to be disappointed in me."

Her tone brightened, but clearly by force, "B-but! Th-that's not what I wanted to stop at! Wh-what I—the whole point of s-saying this is that—um, b-being able to guide you through Hotland… s-so that you can get home… um, it's made me f-feel a lot… a l-lot better about myself! A-and hanging out with you here, a-and hearing all the nice things you say… um… s-so I guess I just want to say… um, th-thanks for letting me help you. It r-really means a lot. S-so… yeah. Th-thank you, Day." Alphys cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Y-yeah. So… th-that's it."

Neither moved, for at least a minute. Then, Day could take it no longer.

She limped forward as quickly as she could manage and hugged Alphys around the middle, saying nothing.

Alphys seemed to jolt in surprise, though it was short-lived; she returned the hug a second later.

Day thought she heard a sniffle or two, but didn't mention it.

"Th-th-thanks," Alphys told her quietly. She released the hug first, so Day followed in suit, keeping her eyes down politely.

Alphys removed her glasses covertly, trying not to make a big _spectacle,_ and wiped them off on her lab coat.

"Well, um… n-now that we g-got that out of the way…" She cleared her throat, "Oh boy. That was, um… fun. Heheh…" Alphys cleared her throat a second time, "Hey, um, I'm gonna go check in, uh, that room for a second… I-I wanna add an adjustment to the laser gun, a-and there's, um, a tool I need, in there. Um, I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

Day nodded.

"Okay, well um… y-yeah. I'll just… b-be a minute." Alphys scurried off down the escalator, leaving Day alone at the work table.

 _I… I always thought she was just shy,_ Day thought, still in disbelief of it all, _I didn't know that… but why wouldn't she like herself? She's so funny and smart and nice!_

Suddenly, an idea struck her. Day dug through her pocket, searching for the crumpled collection of nice cream wrappers. She found the one she sought and flattened it on the table. The writing was still visible:

" _Love yourself! I love you!"_

It was perfect. Day opened a spiral notebook at the corner of the work table, then placed the wrapper inside so that it was just visible over the top of the cover page. Alphys would find the surprise sooner or later—and when she did, she was sure it would make her… well, _day._

* * *

After a week, Day had more or less healed; her fever was gone, her head no longer felt fuzzy, and though the leg was stiff and a little sore, it didn't present any unbearable pain. She could move around freely, her limp unnoticeable to those who didn't look for it.

Unfortunately, a pair of visitors came one evening, and they knew exactly what to expect.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Alphys called out, running to lab's front entrance. Someone was knocking frantically and showed no sign of slowing.

"I really should install a call-box out front," she said to herself, unlocking the door and allowing it to slide open, "Hello? Who—"

"HUMAN DAY!"

Day dropped her cup of Insta-Noodles, and her gaze flew up quickly.

In seconds she found herself being spun in the air, held tightly in Papyrus' arms.

"OH HUMAN DAY I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" he yelled, as if she were several feet away and half deaf, "Sans told me that you were here with Dr. Alphys because you were hurt by spiders and I was so worried about you because spiders can be very dangerous sometimes and especially to humans—not to skeletons, because there is little in us that is able to be poisoned—but he said you were very sick and I was worried because I was not here to take care of you in your time of need! Of course Dr. Alphys is also very good at taking care of people and no doubt did a fantastic job—"

As he went on in this manner, Day stared up at him speechlessly.

 _I might not have ever been able to see him again._

The thought came at the worst possible time and was horribly dark, but that made it all the more potent.

 _If those spiders had eaten me… I would've never seen Papyrus again._

 _I would never have seen him again._

 _Ever._

 _I-I could've died… and I would never… have…_

It was at this unfortunate moment that Papyrus glanced down at her and stopped mid-sentence.

"… Day? Why are you crying?"

Before the tears could become audible, she buried her face into his scarf, clutching it tightly.

Papyrus was surprised, but it didn't deter him from responding; he just patted her back.

"There there," he comforted, "It is alright! As long as you are not sick and hurt, I am not worried! You don't need to cry… but if it makes you feel better, then you can cry all you need to! The Great Papyrus will always be here for emotional support, and will not turn away in the face of tears!"

Day showed no sign of letting go, and Papyrus no sign of telling her to.

Undyne had decided not to barge in like Papyrus, and instead entered calmly, stopping at Alphys.

She flashed a confident smile, "Hey Alphys! Haven't seen you in a while!"

"H-hi Undyne!" Alphys stammered, "Uh, y-y-yeah! M-me neither! Um, are you… um… d-doing… good?"

"Sure am," she replied, "Papyrus and I have been hanging out in Snowdin—I was sleeping at their house for a while, but then Sans started driving me nuts—that guy gets, like, twenty midnight snacks! In the course of an hour!"

Alphys laughed, "Oh yeah—th-that sounds like Sans, alright! H-he used to… um, s-sometimes when I was sleeping, h-he would sneak in and… um, p-put whipped cream on my hand—"

"He did that to you too?!" Undyne groaned, "God, I hated that! He only did it to me once, though—I chased him halfway through Waterfall in my pajamas, for it! Now he thinks twice before pranking me when I'm trying to sleep!"

She laughed, and Alphys joined in. Both girls were noticeably blushing, and prayed the other wouldn't notice.

"So, I heard about the little trooper over there." Undyne nodded back to Day, who was still contently in the arms of Papyrus, "What happened to her?"

"Oh, what happened to Day?" Alphys clarified, "Well, um, as far as I heard, there was a little… um… a little incident… involving Muffet…"

Undyne's smile vanished, "What do you mean "incident"?"

"W-well I—"

"You mean Muffet beat her up?"

"W-well! Um, not so much Muffet as… um… her pet?"

"Muffet sicked her pet on Day?"

"Um—"

"Did it bite her?!"

"J-just a little—"

"PAPYRUS!" Undyne called over, "Bring the kid over here!"

Papyrus obeyed, though somewhat alarmed by Undyne's tone.

"Hey, kid," Undyne spoke up, "Day."

Day turned to face her, "Yes ma'am?"

"So what happened with you and Muffet? Did you do something to provoke her?"

"Um, I don't think so," Day answered, "I was walking through the room and couldn't see the webs, and then Miss Muffet came and said she was going to bake me into a cake—"

"Bake you into a cake?!" Papyrus blurted, "That would not have been very good!"

"What else?" Undyne encouraged.

"Well she said she was going to send spiders after me, so I tried to run away, but she caught up—and then she told her giant spider pet after me, and it bit me on the leg—"

Papyrus was hugging her even tighter than before, but Undyne still pressed for more.

"Yeah? And?"

"And then I started to feel sick and couldn't run away, so I fell down, and everything started to get dizzy and I couldn't move and I thought I was going to—"

Day forced herself to stop at the last possible second, unwilling to share the dark thought.

Undyne's eye began to twitch at the corner. She did not look happy.

"I—I think I kicked the giant spider, when it was biting me," Day admitted, thinking Undyne was waiting for a confession, "I shouldn't have done that, b-but I wasn't thinking straight, and I got scared—"

"Papyrus," she interrupted, "Why don't you and Day go find her shoes? She and I are going to pay Muffet a little _visit."_

"A… friendly, non-violent visit?" Papyrus asked meekly.

"We'll see."

He took the hint, "Erm… well then, Day, let's go find your shoes! It would not be very fun to walk around Hotland in only socks!"

Day nodded, "They're upstairs."

Papyrus carried her up the escalator, sat her comfortably on the bed and brought them to her.

"I would offer to help you tie them," he said, "But… well, it is very difficult to tie knots of any kind in mittens!"

"That's okay," she assured, tying the pink laces herself. Her right leg was difficult to bend, but Day didn't admit to it. She didn't want to worry Papyrus any more than he already was. When she was finished, Papyrus scooped her up once again and carefully carried her to the main lab area.

"Lemme see her," Undyne said, "With the leg and all."

"Please be very gentle and careful!" Papyrus cautioned, "Humans are very breakable!"

Undyne scoffed, "What? No way! Humans are frickin' tough!" She held Day under an arm, "Why, I could probably drop her off the top of this mountain and she'd bounce right back!"

Papyrus looked panicked, "Undyne please don't do that!"

"I'm not gonna!" She smiled tauntingly, "Probably."

"Undyne!"

With a cackle, she ran out of the lab, "See ya, Alphys! Don't tire her out too much, Papyrus!"

"Goodbye Undyne and Day! Please be very careful and safe!"

"B-bye Day! I'll—I'll call you later, okay? Um, y-you be careful too, Undyne!"

Day held tightly to Undyne's arm as they flew across Hotland, straight into an elevator near the lab. Once inside, Undyne set Day down on the floor.

"Now kid," she began, "I get that you're planning to stick to the whole "turn the other cheek" and "don't hurt monsters" thing, but if you keep letting people push you around, you're gonna get hurt again! And you're not always gonna have someone there to fight off bad guys for you! You gotta be able to stand up for yourself and say "no," you hear?"

"I tried to—"

"You gotta be more aggressive!" Undyne continued, "You gotta stand your ground for what's right! Now I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't usually take the monsters' side of this whole thing—humans are stronger! They've got no excuse to be losing like this! But you know what I can't stand more than anything?"

Day took a guess, "Losing?"

"No!" she argued, but reconsidered, "… Okay, so maybe that's number two. But there's something even worse than that: injustice! I don't like seeing people getting pushed around when they didn't do anything to deserve it! So you know what? We're going back to Muffet right now, she's gonna apologize to you, you're gonna apologize for kicking her pet, and then you're gonna go on your merry little way. Got it?"

She froze up at the thought of returning to that horrible place, "B-but—"

The elevator door slid open.

"Too late to argue, now!" Undyne said, hoisted her under an arm once again, and continued to run towards Muffet's parlor.

Before Day had a chance to plead otherwise, they were there.

"Hey! Muffet!" Undyne called out, "Get out here a second! You got some explaining to do!"

Day latched onto Undyne's arm for dear life, shaking violently; she couldn't bear to look.

That all too familiar giggle erupted.

"Ahuhuhu… why hello there, dearie! My, what a pleasant surprise to have the captain of the royal guard in my humble parlor…"

Undyne was unfazed, "You set your pet on my friend Day, here. The thing bit her and made her sick for a week!" In a single motion, she released Day and set her on the webs in front of Muffet, "I think you owe her an apology."

Day made a move to run back to Undyne for protection, but Muffet got there first.

"Oho! Why hello there, you slippery little dearie, you…"

"I-I'm sorry I kicked your pet!" Day blurted before fear could render her speechless, "I—I didn't mean to hurt him—I'm sorry!"

Muffet only giggled, covering her mouth.

"Is that all? Why, there's no need to worry, my dear!" She reached out and patted Day on the head gingerly, "There will be no grudges held at all! I'm sure Cupcake has quite forgiven you for the whole incident!" Muffet flashed her a grin, "Of course, you could always ask him yourself, if that would make you feel better?"

"N-N-no thank you!" she stammered, squeezing her arm in a vice grip, "N-no—"

"Alright," Undyne cut in, "Now it's your turn, Muffet."

Muffet giggled, "Oh yes, how silly of me to forget! Of course, I am very sorry for the trouble I caused—the person who asked for your soul must've meant a _different_ human wearing a stained apron! Ahuhuhu, what are the odds? Of course, I'd be glad to make it up to you! Here, how about this; you can come back any time you'd like, and for no charge at all… I'll wrap you up and let you play with sweet Cupcake, again!"

Day went pale, on the verge of fainting at the thought alone.

"Just kidding, of course!" she assured, "I do love an occasional joke, ahuhuhu!"

Undyne seemed satisfied, "Sure." She turned back to Day, "You think you can take it from here, Day?"

"B-by myself? You can't come wi—"

"No no, now remember what I told you about," she reminded, "You gotta buck up and fend for yourself, alright? You're strong enough, you just gotta do it! I'm not gonna let you quit just yet!" Undyne grinned, "But you come find me if someone gives you _too_ hard of a time, alright punk?"

Against her true wishes, Day nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"Later, kid. Muffet. Both of you'd better stay out of trouble, or I'm coming after you, ya hear?" She dashed back to the entrance of the parlor, "Keep moving forward, Day! You're getting there!"

As soon as she had bounded out of sight (Undyne didn't seem to want to waste any time), Muffet smiled at Day again.

"Perhaps I could make it up to you in another way," she suggested, "As you can see, my beautiful parlor is a bit on the dark side—hard to navigate with only two eyes, is it not?" Muffet offered a hand, "I can lead you to the exit, if that is what you'd like."

Day kept both hands close to her chest, distrustful of her offer.

Muffet only giggled, "I won't bite, dearie. Those days are long behind us, now!"

She did need to get to the core… and that could only happen if she passed this area. Day had little choice. Shaking, she reached up and took Muffet's outstretched hand.

With a giggle, they were off. Day had to hurry to keep up with Muffet's brisk pace, a task made even more difficult with her added limp. Soon, a light became visible amidst the shadows and webs—for the first time in a week, Day was filled with a sense of determination.

"Here we are!" Muffet announced, "And there you go, dearie! Free to continue on ahead!"

Day nodded politely, "Thank you."

"Ahuhuhu, of course! Come back any time, dearie!" Muffet turned to scurry off, but paused, glancing back, "Oh, and just a parting word—you can tell your friend that elaborate canons are not appreciated in my parlor. The light is very painful to a spider's many eyes, and the damaged webbing took ages to repair!"

"Excuse me?" Day asked, confused, "I don't know what you're—"

Muffet had vanished with a final giggle, disappearing into the darkness.

 _Canons?_ She wondered, _What did Undyne ever say about canons? What was Muffet talking about?_

It seemed she wouldn't get an answer, now. Day took a moment to massage her leg, bending her knee a few times to ease the stiffness, and stood up straight.

To the core, then.

* * *

 ** _Okay, just make that 400% longer than I initially planned.  
_**

 ** _But I suppose it's appropriate- for, as I regret to announce, I'll have to go on a brief hiatus, again. We're going through a period of planning at school known as "junior plays," or as juniors like to call them, "You sell your soul for two weeks and then if you live through the process, get back what's left of it."_**

 ** _So, yeah. About two weeks or so. I'm really sorry, as I hate to take long breaks in between chapters- especially now, when there's only about 5 chapters left. XP_**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed despite its length!_**


	22. Liar Liar, Stage On Fire

_**Oh hey. I actually lived through junior plays. Well that's a nice surprise.**_

 _ **JUST LIKE this chapter, am I right?  
**_

 _ **It's not nearly as violent and pain filled as the last chapter!**_

 _ **... Well, maybe the first two thirds aren't, anyway. I mean, the chapter has to live up to the title, doesn't it? Time for one of the few moments in the game where I was genuinely confused and slightly terrified. Enjoy!**_

* * *

In all fairness, Day was an immensely tolerant person. She'd sooner grin and bear offenses than lash out—turn the other cheek, and whatnot.

But she was tired. And anxious. And in pain.

So when Day set foot in the next room and saw, for the third time, a decorated stage… she was not afraid. She was a little frustrated.

Day passed by a glamorous Mettaton poster without a second glance. The stage was empty except for a realistic city backdrop, its sky decked with stars, and a simple staircase jutted out into the middle of the floor. It seemed she was alone.

Somehow, Day doubted she was quite so lucky.

Her limp wasn't terrible, but walking certainly wasn't pleasant. She kept her head down, trudging towards the exit.

A single spotlight clicked, positioned at the top of the stairs, revealing… no one?

Out of curiosity, Day stopped.

"Oh… that human?"

Mettaton poked the top half of his robotic head out from behind the backdrop.

"Could it be…?"

He wheeled into full view.

The robot was wearing a sparkly blue dress.

"… my one true love?"

Day returned to her pursuit of the exit.

A blue force field crackled as she approached, letting her know she was trapped.

Behind her, a slow melody had begun to play, and when his cue came, Mettaton began to sing.

" _Oh my love, plea—"_

The next few lines were drowned out by the heavy "BUMPA BUMPA BUMPA!" of Mettaton's single wheel as he rolled down the stairs, clunking a single step at a time.

Day rubbed her leg sorely, then seeing as Mettaton's attention was elsewhere, took the opportunity to sit.

Mettaton continued with his performance as if she wasn't even there.

" _They'll put you… in the dungeon…"_ he continued to sing passionately, the spotlight following his every move, " _It'll suck… and then you'll die a lot… really sad, you're gonna die… cry cry cry…"_

When he realized that Day was not playing along with the act, he rolled over subtly, and the light trailed behind.

" _So sad it's happening…"_ He held the final note, then swiftly reached down and snatched up Day's hand, yanking her to her feet.

She winced and tried to pull away, "Ow! That hurt!"

"I know, human," he agreed somberly, "Our parting is indeed painful… tragic, to say the very least."

Day continued to struggle, "No—my leg—"

"Oh, how right you are!" Mettaton exclaimed dramatically, "Our _legacy_ will far outlive us! Or, rather, it will outlive _you."_

She realized that Mettaton had been dragging her towards the center of the stage, and they now stood over an odd square. That couldn't be good.

Mettaton seemed to sniffle robotically, "So sad…" He patted Day's head less than delicately, "So sad that you're going to the dungeon." His tone quickly brightened, "Well, toodles darling!"

He pressed a flashing button on his chest, and suddenly, the square beneath them slid away.

Day hit the ground before she had a chance to scream; the dirt floor did a great job of stifling any sound that did happen to escape.

She heard the hum of Mettaton's rocket booster; he hovered quite comfortably across from her. Ropey and Springy bounced eagerly at his side, still balancing their giant video cameras.

"Oh no!" Mettaton lamented, "Whatever shall I do? My love has been cast away into the dungeon! A dungeon with a puzzle so dastardly, my paramour will surely perish!"

Day didn't understand most of what he'd said, and she didn't want to. She painfully sat herself up, crossing her arms and locking her jaw—she would _not_ cry. And she wasn't so sure she wanted to solve any "dastardly puzzle," either.

"And what is this terribly terrifying puzzle, you might ask?" Mettaton continued, " _Behold!"_

He jetted out of the way of the path to reveal…

Day's determination sunk even lower.

"O heavens have mercy!" Mettaton cried, "The colored tile puzzle!"

The path seemed to stretch on for miles, following no apparent pattern. It was the first time a rainbow of colors had instilled a sense of dread in the child.

"Now," Mettaton continued, oblivious to or perhaps enjoying her distress, "Each colored tile has its own sadistic function. Take blue, for example. Blue tiles are water tiles, and—but wait a marvelous moment! Haven't we seen this very puzzle before? Funny, I can't quite put my finger on it…"

He soon snapped, "Oh but of course! The same puzzle popped up a few hundred rooms ago, didn't it? I was sure the answer would finally…" Mettaton stared directly into the camera and concluded flatly, "… _hit me."_

Sans was wrong; the machine clearly held a grudge.

"Well, since I'm sure you paid careful attention to the rules the first time around, I won't waste your time repeating them!" Mettaton told her, "Have fun solving this one! Oh, and you'd better hurry, darling… because you know what will happen if you don't finish in exactly thirty seconds?"

"What?" Her answer came out a little shorter than was courteous, so she carefully corrected it, "I mean, what will happen if I don't finish in thirty seconds?"

"Well it's actually quite exciting!" he assured, "You see, if you don't finish in _exactly_ thirty seconds, as I previously said…"

There was a sudden roar behind her; fire sprung up in a towering wall.

"… You'll be incinerated by those jets of fire!" Mettaton just cackled, "Ahahahaha! Oh, my poor love! I'm so filled with grief that I can't stop laughing!"

Day frowned, _If he really *loved* me, I don't think he'd be trying to burn me alive._

"Well, chop chop darling!" he encouraged, "There's no time to waste! Thirty seconds isn't quite so lengthy as you may think!"

The song from before began again, faster, and a counter appeared on Mettaton's face.

 _"Oh my love… has fallen down…"_ Mettaton began to sing again, _"Now in tears… we all will drown… Colored tiles… make them a fool—"_

He stopped abruptly when he realized Day hadn't moved from her spot; she was still sitting, staring at the dirt floor.

Mettaton huffed, "Alright, cut—cut the music! Restart the track! Ropey, that's on you!"

The pyrope hurriedly fiddled with a remote on the side of his camera (this task was exceedingly difficult with his lack of hands), and Mettaton flew over to Day, crossing his arms.

"Darling," he said stiffly, sounding displeased, "You missed your cue."

Admittedly, it was hard to take him seriously in the elegant blue dress. Day blinked and didn't reply.

He huffed again, "Human, if you're not even going to attempt the puzzle, you may as well say so— I've got a schedule to keep up, and I'd be more than happy to save us the thirty seconds and barbeque you now."

Day turned down her gaze, hiding the unpleasant scowl that had emerged.

"Sorry," she muttered insincerely, and stumbled to her feet. Her limp had worsened, but she made it successfully to the start of the tile puzzle.

"Now," Mettaton commented, "How about you play along and make this a little easier on both of us, 'mkay darling?"

"Yes sir," she answered lowly, not looking back.

"Marvelous!" He had regained his theatrical poise instantly, "Time for take two! Hit it, Ropey! Lights, camera, _magic!_ "

The song and timer restarted, and Day began the puzzle, straining to remember the rules Papyrus had told her.

The first tile was pink, and presented no difficulty upon being touched. It was an encouraging start. She could choose one of three paths: a yellow, a green, and a blue.

 _What do the different ones do?_ She wondered, _Yellow is electricity, green is… um… is it poison or something? That doesn't sound right… blue is water, though… blue might be safe._

Following the inner debate, Day stepped onto the blue tile; the water was no deeper than a shallow puddle.

Another three choices: blue, green, and orange. She stepped onto blue—

Day jumped back, a small jolt sent through her leg.

 _What was that all about?!_ she wondered, _The blue didn't do that before!_

Across from the tile, a yellow tile presented her answer. Of course, _now_ she remembered what Papyrus had warned her about: yellow tiles make blue tiles touching it electric.

 _Orange tile it is._

She was overwhelmed with the strong scent of oranges, but didn't let it cloud her judgement. Looking back at the timer on Mettaton, Day was horrified to realize she only had ten seconds left. Where had the rest of the time gone?! There were still several feet of puzzle to go!

Day panicked and hurriedly attempted to make progress—she hopped across two pink tiles, splashed through a blue, and slipped across a purple directly into a yellow. It forced her to dive onto a nearby blue for safety. Unfortunately, that nearby blue was under the effects of the yellow. At least the constant electric shocks distracted her from the cramping in her injured leg.

A pink tile allowed her the chance to evaluate her progress; she was halfway there. Just a little bit further…

The sound of a monstrous buzzer jolted her out of her optimism, and the tiles beneath her died into a dull gray.

Mettaton hovered close, his timer flashing a vibrant zero.

"Ohhh… _I'm awfully sorry…"_ (Day doubted this), "Looks like you're out of time! Oh, and it was _such_ a good try, too! Pity… well, that's show business, folks!"

The firewall loomed behind her, and another sprung up in front, blocking any route of escape.

"Here come the flames, darling! They're closing in!"

Both walls inched closer.

"Getting closer!"

They approached another inch.

"Oh my!"

Another inch.

"Any minute now!"

…

She and Mettaton stared at each other in silence. The flames no longer moved.

Mettaton coughed robotically, hovering safely out of reach of the flames. He whipped out a file and took the chance to buff up his gloved, metal nails.

Day blinked, confused, "… Is something wrong?"

"Isn't that the question?" he replied flatly.

The phone in Day's pocket began to ring, so she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Watch out, I'll save you!" Alphys assured quickly, "I'm hacking into the firewall right now!"

 _That's_ what had stopped it. Day couldn't help but smile in relief; Alphys had saved her once again.

"Oh no," Mettaton said, noticeably less enthusiastic than before, "How could this have happened? Foiled again by the great Dr. Alphys!"

Again, there was an awkward silence. All Day could hear was the frantic clacking of keys on Alphys' end of the phone.

Mettaton cleared his throat, "… That's—"

"That's right!" Alphys cut in, "Come on, Mettaton! Give up already! Y-you'll never be able to defeat us, so long as we work together!" She sounded especially heroic, all of a sudden, "Your puzzle's over—s-so just give up and go home!"

"Well, darling…" Mettaton mused, "Well, well, well. Welly well well. _Well welly well well, well well welly…"_ He flew over to the puzzle, retracted his rocket and balanced on the single wheel, "So you think the puzzle is over, do you? I'm sorry to disappoint you, Alphys darling… but there's still one more _tiny_ challenge to face."

"Th-there is?"

"Oh indeed… and it's none other than _me!"_ He cackled, "This is it, human! Say goodbye!"

Day backed up, mindful of the flames, "Um, Alphys—"

"I-I know this looks bad!" she agreed, "B-but don't worry! There's one last thing I installed on your phone! Th-there should be a big yellow button on the back! J-just press it, okay?"

Sure enough, Day easily found the obtrusive circular button. It wasn't labeled… curiously, she gave it a press.

A blast of energy shot out from the top, striking Mettaton straight in the face.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, " _Oooooh no! I did not see that coming at all!"_

Day's frustration instantly evaporated; she dropped her phone as if it had scalded her.

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped, "I'm so sorry! I didn't know what it would do—I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Mettaton had swooned dramatically, "Ooooh you've defeated me! How can this have happened? I should never have underestimated you and the great Dr. Alphys!"

To her confusion, he didn't sound pained… but that didn't make her feel any better.

"Are you okay?!" Day hurried to approach, "I'm so sorry, Metta—"

He wheeled out of her grasp, "No of course I am not okay, darling! I have been defeated, and now must flee! In humiliating defeat! Oh! Oooooh!" The firewall died at his approach and he continued to roll out of sight, "Oh you were stronger than I expected how could I have been so naïve oh no etc. etc.…"

Ropey and Springy hopped after him, and in a matter of seconds, all three monsters were gone.

Alphys called a second time.

"Hey, it looks like you beat him!" she congratulated, "Nice work out there! I knew you could do—"

"Alphys I didn't mean to shoot him!" she rushed, "I accidentally hit him with something from the phone—I—I think I might have hurt him—"

"Oh, d-don't worry!" Alphys hurriedly assured, "It's okay! He'll be okay! Uh, I d-designed him to have a really durable—er, a really strong outer casing. S-so I don't think it hurt him that much! D-don't worry! Okay?"

"… Okay," Day gave in, "Thank you for helping me."

"Oh—eheh, oh no, I just—I mean, you did all the puzzle solving out there! Haha, I— all I did was write a few silly programs for your phone!" Alphys laughed a little more, "Aha… w-well anyway, you're almost to the core. It's just past MTT Resort—that's not too far from here. S-so, come on! Let's finish this!"

Day nodded and was about to hang up, but suddenly heard Alphys blurt, "W-wait! Wait a second, I forgot—I wanted to tell you something!"

She returned the phone to her ear, "Yes?"

"Um—so—I… I um… I f-found your note."

Her cheeks reddened, "Oh?"

"Y-yeah. It f-fell out of my notebook when I picked it up."

"Oh."

"Y-yeah."

There was an awkward pause.

"… It w-was really sweet. Th-thank you, Day."

"S-sure!"

…

"W-well, I'll just let you—get going then. Um, g-good luck out there!"

Alphys hung up hastily. Her blush was even deeper than Day's.

* * *

The stairs were murder. Day ascended in an unsteady, stiff-legged manner.

Well, it was better than the colored tile puzzle.

A mass of monsters were gathered at the top of the stairs, surrounding some sort of cart… Day recognized its yellow and red umbrella almost instantly.

As she approached, she began to notice the members of the crowd: Kevin was selling nice cream to the two royal guards, Ember and Oz, and was currently stooping down to hand a blue popsicle to Heats Flamesman.

Day smiled and shyly edged near the group.

Heats Flamesman noticed her first and broke into a grin.

"Hey! Hey, I remember you!" he shouted, "You're Day! I remembered!"

"Yes, I'm Day," she confirmed, "And you're Heats Flamesman."

"YOU REMEMBERED MY NAME!" he cried happily, then jumped up to tug on the sleeve of Ember's shirt, "Hey! Hey sis! She remembered my name! See?! I told you people would remember!"

Ember nodded to pacify him, then waved politely when she saw Day.

"Yo! It's you again!" Oz greeted, "I didn't think—funny seeing you all the way over in this part of Hotland! And during school too! You'd think that—I mean, we're sorta skipping too, but—you know!"

Kevin offered her a distracted nod; he was talking to two monsters Day had never seen before.

"—oh come _on,_ Kevy Wevy!" The shorter one, a purple cat, pleaded sweetly, "You're _sure_ you can't let us have it for free?"

Kevin laughed, sounding uncomfortable, "Well, I mean—"

"Come on, Kevy!" the other, a tall alligator, teased with a giggle, "Be a pal! We'll pay you back sooner or later!"

"A-and I have no doubt of your word!" he assured, "But… well, it's… not the best for business, you know?"

The teens giggled in unison, huddling together.

"Oh, you and your _business!"_

"It's all you go on about: your _business!"_

"Just be sure to remember me when you're a successful and wealthy businessman, okay Kevy?"

"Remember me too, Kevy Wevy!"

They giggled again, and Kevin took the opportunity to edge away, pink in the cheeks.

"I'm sorry for the wait," he apologized to Ember, "I'm looking for it, I promise. Just give me one more second…"

Kevin dug around frantically in the nice cream cart, blindly searching for a particular package.

The teen girls' giggles had subsided, and they now looked at Day with apparent interest.

"Well hi!" the cat greeted friendlily, "I've never seen you before!" She stopped to consider it, "Or have I?" She turned to her friend, "Bratty, have I seen her before? Have you?"

Bratty shrugged, "I dunno. I haven't."

"Well we see her now!" the cat concluded, "So I guess we should introduce ourselves!" She stuck out a paw to Day, and Bratty did the same.

"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend—"

Simultaneously, Bratty was introducing herself, and the two's introductions became jumbled.

"I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend—"

Both stopped, blinked, and then giggled, "We're best friends!"

Day didn't want to play favorites, so she shook both hands at the same time.

"Oh my gosh, I like, _love_ your shirt!" Catty gushed to Day, "It's like, totally wicked cute!"

She blushed modestly, "Thank you. I like your hair."

Catty flipped her dark bangs, which were dyed blue and purple at the tips, "Thanks! I love them too!" She giggled, then added in a loud whisper, "Now if only I could steal Bratty's rainbow poncho—"

"What about my poncho?" Bratty asked, mock-accusingly.

"I'm totally gonna like, steal it when you're not looking!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Go get your own poncho, Catty!"

"But I can't find another one like that in the garbage dump! I want _that_ one! And that big blue jacket in there I was gonna grab went missing a long time ago!"

"Well if you want my poncho… I want your overalls!"

Catty gasped, then snapped sassily, " _Gurl,_ I am the master of these overalls! They ain't leaving my side!" She then giggled, "Or, I guess, both my sides. And my front and back."

Bratty giggled, "Oh Catty!"

While they were laughing uncontrollably at one another, Day noticed that Kevin had found what he was looking for, and promptly handed it off to Ember.

"I—I knew it was still in there!" he exclaimed, "My mother helped me figure ou—uh, I mean, I tried to come up with a new recipe, since the all the other ones kept melting…" Kevin laughed nervously, "Maybe this one will… be a little better."

Ember took the nice cream, held it cautiously for a moment, then took an experimental taste.

Her eyes squinted in a way that suggested she was smiling—Day swore she heard a low giggle.

"Y—so you like it?"

Ember nodded.

Kevin broke into a grin, "Awesome! I was hoping so!"

She used her free hand to withdraw a few gold coins from her pocket and handed them to Kevin as payment for the treat. Kevin went to accept them—but his hand fumbled, and he spilled them onto the ground.

"Oh—shoot," he stammered, "I—clumsy today, apparently."

The fire girl put a hand covertly to her nonexistent mouth, as if hiding a laugh. She immediately knelt down to help Kevin collect the dropped coins.

Behind them, Bratty and Catty were cackling up a storm.

"Oh my _god,"_ Catty whispered, "Would you look at those two?"

"Oh _my_ god," Bratty replied, "So wicked _cute!"_

"Our Kevy Wevy is growing up!"

"Aw, little Kevy Wevy!"

Heats Flamesman was busy assisting his sister, and the teens giggling with one another, so Day approached the royal guards.

"Excuse me?" she asked, "Do you know how to get to MTT Resort?"

"Oh yeah! Like, it's like, really close," 01 told her, "Just like, go up those stairs over there. They like, take you right to it."

02 just nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Day replied, secretly dreading another stair excursion, "Thank you."

"Oh by the way," 01 remembered, "You're not, like, gonna tell Undyne we're taking a break here, right? She like, would explode at us big time if she found out we were slacking off."

"I won't tell her," she assured, then with a joking smile, added, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Like, thanks pal!" 01 said gratefully. 02 nodded his appreciation.

Seeing as everyone was partaking in their own enjoyment of one another, Day didn't interrupt them with goodbyes. She headed towards MTT Resort: last stop before the core.

* * *

"Well look what we have here."

She halted at the top of the stairs.

Sans was grinning, hands folded behind his back, "Haven't seen you in a while. Where you been, kid?"

Day had made it over to him before she even realized she was running.

"Sans!" she exclaimed, latching onto his arm in an embrace.

"Hey there, limp-along," he greeted with a chuckle, "You know, when I offered to give you a hand if ya needed it, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

The unspoken hint was received—Day released her grasp and gave him space.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, 's no problem," he assured, "Oh hey, before I forget; I found something you're probably wanting."

Sans withdrew what he was hiding behind his back: Day's wrinkled sweater.

She had all but forgotten about it, until that instant.

Day snatched it up and held it close to her chest, practically in tears of relief.

" _Thank you!"_ she blurted, "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"… Ah," he responded, sounding overwhelmed by her reaction, "You're pretty… _close knit_ with that thing, huh?"

"Yes, it's..." Her voice wavered, unsure if he wanted an elaboration.

"… Yeah? It what?"

"… My mom made it for me." Day flipped the bottom of the sweater inside out to show him the embroidered patch reading "For Day."

Sans' smile changed to something less teasing, "Cool. Guess it's good I got it to you, then—you know, with this freezing Hotland weather."

Day giggled, then wriggled into the sweater; she would not lose track of it, again.

"So," Sans continued, "You're getting closer to the barrier, huh? Just got the core to get through."

"I guess so."

"Well, unless you're in a hurry, how 'bout grabbing some dinner with me, first? Figure it's been a while and all." He pocketed his hands and nodded back towards the resort, "The place isn't near as good as Grillby's… a few pegs above my bro's cooking, though."

She held back a laugh, "It wasn't _that_ bad…"

"Oh yeah, not _that_ bad… _immensely_ bad's more accurate."

Day just smiled, "Okay, I'll go."

"Great. C'mon; we'll use the front door, this time. Since my shortcuts tend to make you _dayzed_ and whatnot." Sans grinned, "Thanks for treating me to dinner, by the way."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, nothing."

* * *

"—so the atomic symbol for oxygen is O, and the one for potassium is K—"

"Why?"

"Well see, a lot of the elements were originally named different things by the people who discovered them, like that one—that one's from Latin. So they picked K to mean potassium instead of P—there's already one of those on the periodic table: phosphorus. It makes things less confusing."

"It does?"

Sans had made the mistake of telling a chemistry pun, and he was rapidly regretting it.

"Apparently not."

Day still attempted to understand, "Okay, so tell it again, please?"

"Did you hear oxygen took potassium out on a date? Turns out it went OK."

"And it's supposed to be funny… because oxygen is O and potassium is K, and that spells OK?"

"There ya go."

She blinked, "That was really complicated for a joke."

"Yeah… wasn't sure of the _reaction_ I'd get out of you."

Day was sure there was another pun in there, but she couldn't find it. Instead of questioning him further, she quietly finished off her "starfait." It was rainbow ice cream filled with sugar stars… though it tasted like the whole thing had been composed of pure sugar.

"I hear you've been pretty busy here in Hotland," Sans brought up, "Pap and Undyne keep swearing they've seen you on Mettaton's show."

"Yeah…"

"Well, you sound excited."

"I mean… it can be a little fun, but…"

"What? Is he giving you trouble?"

"No, he's okay!" she assured quickly, then felt a smile emerge, "Um… I think he may know you."

"Yeah? How's that?"

"Something about scrambling his circuits?"

Sans smirked, "Oh yeah. Trust me, kid, it's nothing he didn't earn."

Day didn't doubt it, but she thought better of saying as much. She just giggled.

"So…" Sans continued, noticeably more serious, "Your journey's almost over, huh? Just past here's the core, and just past that's the king's castle, and just past that… is the barrier."

 _I'm that close already? But it only feels like a few days ago since I met Toriel in the ruins…_

… and pretty soon, she'd have to leave everyone behind.

"You must really wanna go home," he said, "I mean, you made it this far. That's no small feat; some days I can barely make it from the couch to the fridge."

It elicited a laugh from Day, and he continued, "Don't worry, buddo. I know the feeling: wanting to get back to where you're from and all…" He rubbed the back of his neck, no longer looking at her, "Though… maybe sometimes it's just better to take what's given to you, ya know? Down here, you've already got food, drink, friends… is what you gotta get back to really worth it?"

... She couldn't answer right away.

He had a point. Day had made more friends in the underground than she ever had on the surface. Everyone seemed so much nicer, down here (excluding Flowey, perhaps). And as far as things to go _back_ to…

There wasn't a lot of that, either. So why did she want to go back so badly?

 _Because it's where I belong,_ was the automatic reminder that popped up. _It's where I'm from. Where all the other humans are. It's home!_

 _… Right?_

Day dismissed the empty starfait glass and stared down at her hands; they were still covered in bandages from her initial fall.

"… I don't know," she admitted quietly.

Sans was brought back to the conversation at hand, previously letting his mind drift.

"Oh, hey—heh, didn't mean to make you doubt yourself or nothing, just…" He let out a quick breath of a laugh, "Eh, forget about it. I'm rooting for you, kid."

His reassurance helped, even if only a little. Day smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

He chuckled uncomfortably, "Yeah yeah, just… ease back on the sweetness, alright? I'd be worried about my cholesterol, if I had any."

Behind them, a funny looking bird had entered the restaurant, and was heading towards a door in the back. The moment he spotted Sans, his face lit up, and he scurried over.

Sans saw his approach and nodded in greeting, "Hey, Snowen."

"Hi Sans! How's it going?"

"Can't complain. You? How's the act coming along?"

"Oh, it's… eheh…" He didn't sound very confident, "I hope you don't mind, but I wrote down a joke or two I remember from your acts, just to see if they take…"

Sans shrugged passively, "Go for it, man. They're not _my_ jokes if I'm not using 'em, anymore."

"Thanks!" he replied, "You should stay for the show, sometime!"

"Yeah, we'll see."

"I'll take that as a yes!" Snowen said confidently, "Well, wish me luck!"

"Knock 'em dead, man."

When he left, Day eyed Sans curiously.

"What did he mean when he said your "act"?"

"Eh, nothing important," he tried to minimize, "I did stand-up here, once or twice. That was a while ago."

"You mean you performed jokes in front of people?" Day smiled; that sounded _perfect_ for him, "Why did you stop?"

"Oh you know… sleeping on the job takes a lot of time out my schedule. Besides, why do "stand-up" when you can sit? Just wasn't the job for me."

It was a short answer, and Day couldn't help but feel it wasn't the whole truth. But she held her tongue and kept the suspicion to herself.

When he spoke again, his tone had returned to normal, "Hey, lemme tell you a story."

Day put her elbows up on the table to sit comfortably, "Okay."

"So I'm a sentry in Snowdin Forest, right?" he began, "It's a pretty fulfilling job; I sit there and watch for humans. And as you can guess from the giant human populace we've got down here, I don't end up seeing a lot of 'em. It's pretty boring. Fortunately, if you go really deep in the forest, there's this huge locked door to the old abandoned ruins. And it's perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes."

"So anyway, one day I'm there knocking 'em out, like usual. I knock on the door and go "Knock-knock," to start. And suddenly, from the other side, I hear this woman's voice answering me: "Who's there?""

 _Toriel?!_ Day nearly blurted out, but didn't want to interrupt him in the middle of his story.

"Naturally, I respond: "Dishes." "Dishes who?" " _Dishes_ a really bad joke"."

It was. But Day still giggled.

"Then she just _howls_ with laughter, like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years." Sans was grinning proudly, "So I keep 'em coming, and she keeps laughing. After about a dozen of 'em, _she_ knocks and says: "Knock-knock!" I go, "Who's there?" "Old lady!" "Old lady who?" "Oh! I did not know you could yodel!"" Sans gave Day a look, "Wow. Needless to say, this woman was extremely good."

Day was almost proud of Toriel for the pun; she continued to beam, covering her mouth to laugh.

"But not as good as you," she assured.

"Oh yeah? Heh, well—" Sans seemed to fumble for a second, "—heh. Sure, if you say so kid." He regained his composure and continued, "Anyway, we kept telling each other jokes for hours after that. Eventually I had to call it a night—Papyrus gets kinda cranky without his bedtime story. But she told me I should come by again… so I did. Then I did again. And then again after that. It's a thing now, telling bad jokes through the door. It rules."

She truly considered revealing the identity of his fellow comedian, but still, Day didn't interrupt; she didn't want to be rude.

"And you'd think it'd stop at that, right?" he asked, "Actually, it didn't. Before I know it, this lady is telling me funny things like "Be sure you stay warm—I don't want you to get sick!" One time I even got something along the lines of "Be sure you sleep at least eight hours a night!" Ha, yeah… that happened. I mentioned Grillby's one time, and she starts saying I should be eating healthy every so often… Heh, she even gave me recipes to try." Sans cringed, "Let's just say, Papyrus is the master chef of the family."

 _Yep, it has to be Toriel. No one else would mother near as much._ Day didn't realize how much she missed the overwhelming affection until now.

Sans was reclining deep into his chair, the smile lingering thoughtfully, "… Hm. It went on like that for a little while…" A corner of his smile seemed to recede, "One day, though, I noticed she wasn't laughing a whole lot. I asked her what was up, and she told me something pretty strange: "If a human ever comes through this door… could you please, please promise me something? Watch over them and protect them… will you not?""

"Now, to be honest, I kinda hate making promises. And this woman… I mean, heck, I don't even know her name. But…" He chuckled, "Someone who sincerely loves bad jokes has the sort of integrity you can't say "no" to." There was a brief pause, "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Day wasn't sure she did, and shook her head to say as much.

"I'm saying, that promise I made to her…" Sans' tone was lower than usual, and he didn't break eye contact, "Do you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything?"

Day shook her head again, "No… what?"

Sans leaned both elbows onto the table, chuckling without feeling. He was looking away, again.

"Buddy…"

In a single motion, his eyes shifted to her. Then, without warning, the two white pupils vanished. Only the black, empty sockets were left. He continued to smile, chillingly.

" _You'd be dead where you stand."_

Day was completely silent, staring across the table in…

… confusion.

…

After an uncomfortably long time, Sans' eyes closed, and he snickered. Then full-on laughed.

"Jeez bucko, lighten up!" Sans continued to laugh, sounding genuine this time, "I'm just messing with ya!"

She didn't respond immediately, still processing the ominous threat.

Sans rolled his eyes—the lights had returned inside—and sighed in mock exasperation, "Oh come on, kid. You know I'm joking! After all, haven't I done a great job of protecting you? I mean, look at yourself; you didn't drown in Waterfall, Undyne didn't turn you into a kabob, and you weren't devoured by spiders…" He winked, "Don't worry, kid. I've got your back."

The more she considered it, the more she was convinced. Sans was prone to teasing, after all… Besides, he'd done nothing but look out for her, from the beginning. They were friends—he would never hurt her! If Day had any lingering doubts, she didn't acknowledge them.

"Yeah…" Slowly, quietly, Day joined in with his laughter, "Yeah, I know."

"Well, that's all I really had to say." Sans stretched lazily, preparing to stand, "So… look out for yourself, kid. Cause someone really cares about you."

His previous intimidating words were completely forgotten; Day smiled.

"You too," she reciprocated meekly.

Sans scoffed a little, but didn't elaborate on the apparent skepticism.

"I'll see if I can catch you again, before you make it all the way to the barrier," he told her, rising from his seat, "Til then, stay outta trouble. If ya need me, I'll probably be hanging around Waterfall. Someone got that worn-out old statue playing again… did'ja end up seeing it? It's around that room where it's always raining."

Day nodded, "Yes, I saw it. That's where I met—" She suddenly remembered the promised favor she'd been disregarding, "Oh! Wait, don't leave yet! I'm supposed to tell you something!"

Sans sat back down, "Alright. What's up?"

"Hold on, please," she requested, "He wanted me to use certain words… um…" Day concentrated, making sure she got the message exact, "… Okay, I remember now. Gaster wanted me to ask you "Why are you blue"?"

There was no answer.

His smile was long gone.

Sans shifted, looking about as relaxed as a taut rubber band. He set an arm on the table to lean against it; his hand was balled into a bony fist.

"… Heh… That so?"

His voice was flat and chilly. He offered another short laugh—it was not out of humor.

"… Alright." He seemed to take a breath, "Alright… you did your part. Now tell me. Who told you to say that?"

The sudden change in his demeanor distracted her, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," he snapped almost before she'd spoken, "This is someone's idea of a joke. You might not know what you're talking about, _kid,_ but they do." Sans was not releasing eye-contact, this time, "And I don't find it very funny."

"I… don't understand," she replied hesitantly, "He told me to—"

" _Who_ told you?"

"Gaster did."

"No he didn't."

Day was confused, "But… he did. I saw him in Waterfall and—"

"Kid."

His voice was no longer flat. It was the same low volume as before, but there was a sharpness to it that dug into Day.

"Maybe I didn't make this clear earlier," he began, low and slow, "But I don't appreciate being lied to."

The white pupils had disappeared some time ago. Day found herself edging away from the table, sinking into the back of her chair. Her arms began to rise defensively, near her chest.

"I-I'm not—" She forced down the stammer, "I'm not lying. I promise."

Sans laughed coldly. He sounded impatient.

"Look. I've been pretty convinced you were a good kid, this whole time." The biting tone in his voice had increased, "Don't prove me wrong now. Cut the lying and fess up."

Day felt like she was about to cry.

 _But I'm not lying! Why won't he believe me?!_

"B-but I'm not ly—"

" _Don't give me that."_

The room suddenly became warmer. Day felt dizzy. She glanced down to find the table and hold onto it for balance—

Day was a foot above her chair, surrounded in a blue glow.

She didn't scream. She didn't make a sound. She just froze, petrified, heart hammering in her chest.

Then, a few seconds after it had begun, Day was lowered back to the chair.

This time, she recognized the same blue glow in Sans' eye. And she saw it fade when he dropped his hand. It was easy to deduce what had just happened.

"… Fine." Sans' voice was flat, "Don't tell me. Your choice." He pocketed his hands and did not look at her again, "Guess I just assumed there was more to you than that."

Sans turned his back on her. In a blue flash, he was gone.

Day's hands were latched onto the sides of her chair, legs pulled up close, chest rising and falling visibly.

Her eyes were glued to the now empty space a few feet away.

A minute passed. The another. Day didn't move. She just stared.

Terrified.

"… S… S-sans?"

* * *

 _ **Well that's okay. That's exactly where I wanted that to go. That wasn't at all more painful to write than I had anticipated.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! I sure didn't! DX**_

* * *

 _ **Update: So I figured I should say something. After I posted this chapter, I lost a follower or two. Sure, maybe it's because I take forever and a half to update... but I also think it has something to do with the chapter itself. And yeah, I'm guessing it has to do with the Sans scene here. I understand why people might not like it- conflict isn't plesant. And I won't make any promises for the rest of the story regarding resolution, because where's the dramatic tension in that? All I'll say is that I hope you stick with me to see how this turns out- I'll do my best to satisfy you, since you've taken the time to read. And if you'd like, you can contact me to express what you disliked about the chapter (or any chapter) any time. I can't get better if no one points out my mistakes!**_

 _ **So again, thank you for sticking with me! Have a nice day!**_


	23. Core of the Problem

"Hey! Watch it, would you?" a monster grumbled, pushing past Day in a hurry.

"S-sorry," she practically whispered, losing her voice for a second. The monster was out of earshot long before she'd spoken.

To avoid inconveniencing anyone else, Day maneuvered through the swarm of monsters crowding the resort lobby; a large golden fountain in the center provided refuge. It was adorned by a glimmering Mettaton sculpture which shot a jet of water into the air… only for it to cascade onto the carpet below, creating a growing puddle.

Day sat along the rim, hoping to gather her thoughts amidst the chatter of surrounding monsters.

"Okay," she spoke aloud, seeing as she couldn't be heard anyway, "Alphys said the core is right after here. I just need to find the right way to go…"

A survey of the lobby proved useless; Day couldn't see over the heads of those passing by, and spotted little more than a few seconds of the back wall. Even when standing on the fountain's rim, the view did not improve.

The dread in the back of her mind was fully realized; she would have to ask a stranger for directions.

Day searched the masses, intimidated. Something about the monsters seemed much less friendly than before, but Day couldn't put her finger on it. Everyone seemed to be in a rush to get by, and the sheer number of them packed into such a tight place…

She did her best to shake off the sensation; there were more important things to do than sit on a fountain and be scared of people.

Leaving behind the safe solitude of the centerpiece, Day ventured towards the back wall, dodging to evade passing monsters.

There was a reception desk in the back corner, where a giant blue hand waited, drumming its nails impatiently. Although Day was sure it could _point_ her in the right direction most effectively… she'd come to prefer speaking to things with a face. So she moved on.

On the opposite side of a hallway that split the back wall, there was another counter. The glowing sign above it read "MTT" with a flashing burger next to it. Day figured it was a food booth of some sort. She was about to pass it too, but when she was within a few feet, she got a glimpse of the cashier.

Dogs were no doubt glorious, slobbering, affectionate creatures. But there was one animal Day held even dearer.

A human-like orange cat was slouching against the counter, looking overall displeased with life. There was a heavy odor that lingered around the counter, evident from the moment she approached. Day cringed a bit, but pushed past her disgust and stood patiently.

In a sudden motion, the cat rushed to stuff something from his mouth into a small silver dish on the counter.

"Oh sh—" He straightened up as if on instinct, looking rigid, "Uh—hello and welcome to MTT Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day… _trademark."_

He spoke in a robotic manner, as if reading the words off a sign. It was odd, but Day decided not to address it.

"Hi," she greeted, albeit quietly, "Can you help me—"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted suddenly, in the same stiff manner, "I'm not allowed to converse with customers who haven't bought anything. It's store policy."

Day blinked, "But… didn't you just—"

"Why do you keep trying to talk to me?" he hissed lowly, eyes darting around the crowd as if searching for someone, "I'll get in trouble if I get caught being chummy with the customers! My boss won't hesitate to send me headlong into the core—"

"Your boss?"

He gave her a dumb look, "Yeah. Mettaton."

"Mettaton's your boss?"

The annoyance in his expression increased drastically, "MTT Resort. As in, Met-Ta-Ton." To further illustrate his point, he shot an intolerant glare towards the gurgling fountain behind her.

"Oh." Suddenly, the atmosphere of the resort made much more sense.

"God, have you even looked around?" he stressed, sounding exasperated, "This place is a _labyrinth_ of bad choices! And every time we try to change something for the better, he just vetoes it and says that's not how they do it on the surface!"

"How would he know what the surface is like?" Day questioned.

"Exactly!" the cat exclaimed, "I'm no expert on humans, but I'm pretty sure they don't eat burgers made of sequins and glue! Or "starfaits" that have entire handfuls of sugar in them!"

Well, that explained the overwhelmingly sweet taste.

The cat just laughed shortly, "And to think when I came to Hotland, I actually _dreamed_ of working with Mettaton…" He gave Day a look, "Be careful what you wish for, little buddy. Because you might just get it… and then end up working eight hour shifts at a greasy burger joint, your life over at the ripe old age of nineteen."

She frowned, feeling pity for him, "I'm sorry."

He laughed again, hand drifting back to the silver dish without his knowledge.

Rather than press for directions again, Day decided to try to improve his mood.

"So… you said you wanted to work with Mettaton?"

"Yeah, that _was_ the dream…"

"What did you want to do?"

"Oh, just the dream of any young and naïve kid…" He huffed a bit, then flatly admitted, "I wanted to be an actor."

"Why didn't you?"

He gave her a flat expression, "I wish I knew, little buddy. For one thing, no one here takes me seriously." The cat scowled, "Not after the whole "Burgerpants" incident."

"The… what?"

He groaned, "Dammit, I shouldn't have brought that up…"

"Oh… if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have—"

"So these two chicks come up to me one day and ask me to sneak them some Glamburgers," he launched into the tale, "And I, naïve teenager that I was, said yes to them. Ha. Bad idea. So I went out to the alley to see those two ladies, and uh… you know, see what would happen next."

"Okay…?"

"Just then, my boss—he comes out and sees me, and asks what I was doing. I was so startled, the Glamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground! Not wanting to, uh, lose face or anything, I scrambled to pick them up before he could see! But… as I was leaning over, the weight of the remaining burgers…" His cheeked reddened, "…caused my pants to fall down." The expression on his face was now one of contempt, "So of course, my boss has to go and tell the whole staff… and now everyone calls me Burgerpants."

As much as Day longed to giggle at the story, she refrained.

"I'm sorry about that," she said sincerely, "What's your real name?"

He looked surprised, "Uh… Felix?"

"Hi Felix," she greeted, "I'm Day."

"… Hi." There was an awkward pause, "… So did you need something, little buddy?"

"Oh, yes," she remembered, "I was wondering if you know how to get to the core from here?"

Felix gave her a look he'd used before, then pointed to the hallway to the left of the stand, "That way."

Day peeked around the corner, only to spot the word "CORE" in flashing orange lights over the door at the end of the hall.

She flushed, "Oh."

Felix snickered, "Don't feel too bad, little buddy. It's probably the most subtle thing in this entire resort. Easy to miss."

"A little bit. Thank you, Felix!"

"Anytime, little buddy," he said with a wave, again retiring to slouch over the counter.

When Day disappeared, Felix cast a glance in her direction, then gladly collected his discarded cigarette.

"Oh, little buddy…" He chuckled, "You are gonna get eaten alive in there."

* * *

"H-hello? Day? Are you at the core yet?"

"Yes, I am." She balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she opened the doors leaving MTT Resort, "I'm here now."

"Oh good! I was a little bit worried when you—you took just a little while… wh-what were you doing?"

Day hesitated, unsure if she truly wanted to share, "… Um, I just saw—"

She froze, unable to withhold a small gasp.

Two dark figures slunk into the doorway of the massive core, just evading her sight. They drew attention to the core itself… and Day felt smaller than ever before.

The core resembled a misshapen metal box the size of a large building, covered with pipes and gears. It shot out steam at various intervals and filled the cavern with an earth-shaking thunder.

"Huh?" Alphys' confused voice brought her back to reality, "Who are they? N-nobody else is supposed to be in here!"

"I don't know," Day replied, "I only saw them for a second… um… wait. How did you… see them?"

"Huh? Oh! I just—uh, l-look at that light post behind you!"

She complied; just below the light itself was a small but noticeable camera, whirring lowly as it focused.

"Oh."

"Yep! We—er, I have to— the core has to be constantly monitored, from every angle. It supplies power to all the underground, after all!" Alphys' concern returned, "I wonder who those people were…? Well… oh well! We can't worry about that right now! W-we've gotta get you to the barrier! S-so, just keep going forward! I'll lead you through!"

"Okay." Day headed for the core's entrance, which seemed to shine with a blue light—a stark contrast to the low red of the lava simmering far below.

"Now, just take the elevator right in front of you! It's a straight shot to the top of the core," Alphys directed.

Simple enough. Day approached the elevator, pressed the button beside the doors, and…

"… Alphys? It's not working."

"Wh-what?! But—but it should be working! Try again!"

Again, she pressed the button.

"Anything?!"

"No, not yet."

"Oh… w-well… Um… o-okay! That's okay! No, it's—totally okay!" Alphys sounded far from convinced of her words, "This is fine! Okay, j-just… we can get to a different elevator just fine! It'll take, um, a l-little bit of walking, but… j-just go to the right, okay?"

"Okay, I will." Day had no clue how to navigate the area on her own, and thus followed Alphys' instructions without question. She passed through a doorway to the right of the elevator, prepared to follow another pathway—

… This posed a problem.

"… Alphys?"

" _Wh-where in the world did this c-come from?!"_ Alphys blurted, sounding distressed, "Th-there isn't a g-giant fire pit on m-my map! Wh—where did—h-how—?!"

Day stared at the flames in silent awe. She had a feeling this wasn't the right way to go.

"Oh my gosh… I-I have no idea how… where…"

"Maybe… I should go left instead?" Day offered.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah! Th-that would be—y-yeah. D-do that." Alphys cleared her throat from the previous outburst, "J-just—keep me updated—er, st-stay on the line, if y-you want…"

"I will," she assured.

Thankfully, the next door didn't lead her to a pit of fire. The floor was smooth and blue, clearly man-made (monster-made?). It looked like a high-tech doctor's office.

"Okay—s-so far so good," Alphys commented, "Heh… f-for a second, I thought we were t-totally lost—ahaha! Th-that would've been s-super embarrassing… B-but it's a good thing I've got my—"

Day heard a jingle, like bells, from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, but produced nothing.

"Huh…"

"Wh-what? What's wrong?"

"Did you hear that sound?"

"What sound?"

"It was like a—"

 _"Tinkle tinkle hoy!"_ It was squeaked in a nasally, high-pitched voice, and came from mere feet in front of her. Day jumped, surprised, and turned to face the speaker.

A bright ball of light was shoved in her face, blocking out all other sights. She threw up her hands in defense, but no attack came. Instead, the light surged with a gentle energy… pulsing steadily… almost hypnotically…

"Day?!" Alphys shouted through the phone, "Day? Wh-what's going on?! Are you—w-wait! D-don't look at the—Day?! D—"

She no longer held the phone, though the thought never occurred to her. It was face-down on the floor while she remained upright, mind blank.

Then, with a screech and a series of arcane swear words, the light was gone. Day was left to return to her senses, just in time to see a small monster with a pointy hat zip down the hall and away from her, as if fleeing death itself.

 _What in the world?_ she wondered, nearly teetering from the hypnosis attempt. _Why did… what was he running from?_

"—ay! Day, can you hear me?!"

Confused, she searched for the voice—and remembered the phone.

Day scrambled for it, "Yes, I can—sorry. I don't know what happened—"

"I—I don't understand!" Alphys stammered, "Why are there… monsters aren't s-supposed to be in here! It's a pr-private area! I-I don't… I don't understand…"

"What happened?" Day asked, "He just ran away…"

"Th-that was—he usually tries t-to hypnotize people and—b-but I'm just glad you broke out of it! I-I've never known anyone who's been able t-to—t-to do th-that!"

She took a cautionary peek behind herself, the hall completely empty, still confused.

"… But…"

"L-let's just keep moving forward, okay? It's—s-surely everything will get easier from here, r-right?"

Alphys' optimism was starting to sound considerably less genuine. Day frowned; it was becoming a lot harder to believe her. Nevertheless, she took in a breath and straightened up, determined.

"Right."

She was surrounded by the constant low drone of the core: clanks of machinery, hissing releases of steam. The metal floor seemed to reverberate beneath her feet, just enough to give her a sense of imbalance. Fortunately, her leg had decided to lie dormant, so the journey wasn't nearly as excruciating as it could have been.

She turned the corner to be met with a surging blue force field, stopping her in her tracks.

"Oh g-great—uh, it l-looks like you can't proceed forward until you hit that switch over there—uh, the one on the wall, in case y-you didn't see—d-do you see it?"

"Is it the red one?"

"Y-yep! S-so you'll need to hit that—b-but there are lasers behind the f-force field, and they'll activate, as soon as you hit the switch!" Alphys was quiet, apparently considering their options, "Um… okay, if I remember correctly… um, th-they should come in this order: orange, orange, blue. G-got it?"

"I think so," she replied, "Orange, orange, blue?"

"Exactly! P-perfect! S-so that means all you have to do is move until the l-last laser comes, okay? J-just hit the switch when you're ready!"

Day only allowed herself a moment to be intimidated by the lasers—after all, she knew what to do when they came. She just had to move until the last laser. Easy. She could do this. Keeping her eyes on the force field, she hit the switch. The blue light vanished, giving way to—

" _OW!"_

Down she went, tucking into a defensive ball, clutching her stomach. The other lasers passed harmlessly overhead.

" _Day! What happened?!"_

Cringing, she took in a sharp breath and hissed, "It… w-was blue—"

"Wh-what?!"

"The laser," she repeated, "It was blue. I w-was supposed to stay still… b-but I moved—"

" _Oh my god! Are you okay?!"_

Day couldn't tell at first; the laser only seemed to burn briefly, though no marks were present on her sweater. The pain had already begun to diminish, but she was no less shaken.

"I think s-so," she said, unsure if she believed it or not, "It j-just… um, scared me for a second…"

"I-I was so sure that—I was sure that was the order! I-I checked it—not even—I-I was so sure… I… I gave you the wrong order…" Alphys sounded horrendously guilty, "Oh my god… I'm so sorry… Th-this is my fault…"

"It's ok-kay—" Day struggled to repress the stutter caused by her shaking, "It's not your f-fa—it was just a mistake."

"Yeah… a mistake… j-just _another_ mistake…" It sounded dark, "… W-we can't afford any more mistakes—I'll—I promise I won't mess up again! W-we just—we just need to keep g-going forward! It'll b-be fine!"

Day had heard that dark tone only minutes earlier, when…

"Alphys, it's not your fault," she assured, afraid she'd cause yet another schism, "It was just a little mistake. It's okay."

There wasn't really an answer. She frowned, pushed herself to her feet, and trudged along.

Another crossroads wasn't far ahead. Day waited for directions.

…

"… Alphys?"

"Oh, r-right—um… how about… um, I think…" There was a frantic clacking of keys, "It looks like… er… try heading… forward!"

Day nodded, "Okay, I will—"

"W-wait! N-no, actually—um, I think you should go to the left, actually! Y-yeah, definitely left!"

"… Okay." She turned down the path on the left, expecting to find another plain hallway…

… but that was not the discovery she made.

Day suddenly turned on her heels and bolted in the opposite direction, stopping only to flatten herself against the wall outside the crossroads.

"Alphys— there was—a _huge_ monster in there!"

"Th-there was?! D-did—is it following you?!"

She tried to catch her breath, "N-no—I don't think so… I think it might have been asleep…"

"Oh…"

Day knew every incident only delayed her from leaving the core; she couldn't keep stalling.

"I'm just going to go the other way," she said, then added less abrasively, "Do you think that's a—"

"Y-yeah, just… just do that…" Alphys sighed, "Just… yeah."

"… Okay."

The line was silent, and though Day felt pressure to fill it, she was at a loss of how to do so.

 _Maybe it's better if you don't say anything,_ a thought emerged, _After all, the last time you kept trying to talk…_

Day walked faster, as if she could evade it.

 _Stop it,_ she tried to will her subconscious, _Don't think about that anymore._

Another obstacle blocked her way, successfully distracting her thoughts.

"M… more lasers? Really?" Alphys sounded helpless, "I… Okay. I won't mess around this time. I'll just d-deactivate the lasers to let you through…" She cut off, then stammered, "Th-they're—they're not shutting off. I can't turn th—why won't they turn off? Th-this doesn't make any sense! UGH! I don't understand…!"

"I—Alphys?" she offered, "I can just crawl underneath, if that will help?"

"N-no, I won't—your leg is hurt, I won't make you d-do that—I'll just… hold on. I can… Th-this is under control, still! I have an idea… I'll turn off the power to the whole node! That way, you can just walk across easily! Okay? Hold on…"

The lights flickered, then with a descending whir, faded to black. Day could just barely see the end of the long platform, and she didn't hesitate to pursue it.

"Okay, good…" Alphys' tone was finally starting to pick up, "Be careful! I know it's dark, b-but… keep going! You're about halfway there… heh, it s-sure looks like things are f-finally starting to look up, huh? Heh… ahah, I w-was actually starting to worry that someone w-was mess—wait. W-WAIT!"

Day froze, "What?!"

"W—STOP! DON'T MOVE!"

No sooner than the warning had been uttered, with a deafening surge, the trap reactivated— she was caught in between two blue lasers, mere inches from her on both sides.

Good thing she stopped where she did.

"Alphys?"

"The power… it's turning itself back on…" She made a sound Day couldn't discern, "D… dammit… This isn't supposed to…" Alphys took in a breath, "… Okay. Here's what I'll do. I-I'm going to turn off the power again. M-move a little, then stop! S-so—j-just move, count to, um, let's s-say… maybe three? J-just do that… and then… stop and wait. Y-you won't get hurt again, this way…" There was a pause, "… I'm sorry I can't j-just… m-make it work the right way… b-but… I-I guess we just have t-to make the best of this all."

"It's…" Day didn't manage to complete the reassurance before the power failed, and she stole the chance to run. Counting mentally, she had just reached three when the familiar rumbling began again—Day halted in her tracks, and the blue lasers passed through her harmlessly.

This pattern continued for another twenty feet, until at last Day reached the end of the line of lasers. She couldn't help but stare back at them all; someone certainly didn't want her to reach the end of the core. But why…?

Alphys didn't comment further, so Day took the hint and walked silently along.

The core was no longer a single straight pathway; it branched into three separate directions, none having an immediate benefit over the other.

"Okay!" Alphys piped up, doing her best to sound reinvigorated, "You should… you should…"

…

"… I don't know…"

Day eyed all three, trying to offer help, "Um…"

"This doesn't look like my map at all," she admitted lowly, "I'm… so sorry."

"It's o—"

"I have to go."

She stopped, surprised, "Wait! Alphys, I need—"

The phone clicked. Day was on her own.

Helplessly, she considered her options… _How am I supposed to know where to go, without Alphys' help?!_

… Eventually, Day's worry gave way, and she sighed; she wouldn't get anywhere if she just stood around doing nothing. If she walked long enough, she'd end up finding something, eventually.

She noticed two screens on either side of the middle path, so Day read them curiously:

"To the north: the warrior's path. To the south: the sage's path. Any path leads to the end."

The other displayed:

"To the east: The End."

 _Oh. I should probably go that way, then._

 _… Which way is east, again?_ she wondered, trying to recall the knowledge. East and west were left and right… but which was which? She thought she remembered north and south being up and down, but that seemed highly impractical.

 _You know._ The voice in the back of her mind was unexpectedly dark, and unfortunately not unfamiliar, _If Sans were here, you'd have absolutely no problem traveling "upwards."_

Day cringed, "No. Stop it."

 _And you thought falling underground was bad? Just wait until he finds you again, and decides to drop you—_

" _Stop."_ She shook her head violently, cutting off the thought. Day just wanted to forget, already.

Hastily, to distract herself from another onslaught of the subject, she walked to the right; the sign referencing the end was on that side, so that's the way she'd go.

The wall opened up on one side as she turned a corner. Below the path was a thick blanket of fog that smelt… chemical-y. Day couldn't see how much further down it went, but she could live quite happily with that question unanswered.

Day hit another set of crossroads. Fortunately, these too were accompanied by screens providing advice:

"To the east! This is The End!"

"I cannot fight. I cannot think. But, with patience, I will make my way through."

… Huh. That was one of the first successfully reassuring things she'd heard in a little while. She'd have to remember it. Day reread the message aloud, trying to commit it to memory.

"Cannot fight… cannot think…" Her thumb dragged against the second finger, as if etching it into her mind, "But with patience, I will make my way through."

The sign that reference "The End" was on the left this time, for some reason. So, naturally, she took the left path.

A "T" shaped crossroads greeted her, this time with a single sign:

"Get lost. And stay that way."

Well that was considerably less encouraging.

Day elected to ignore the negativity, and with quick rub of her fingers, recited, "Can't fight, can't think, but with patience I'll make it through."

She took a left, and to her confusion, began to recognize the area. Sure enough, the two screens on opposite sides of the center path (about the warrior/sage's path and the end) came into view. Had she made a wrong turn somewhere?

Trying again, Day went east and rounded the corner, but at the next set of signs, continued straight ahead.

There, she found something only slightly more vexing than another crossroads: a dead end. Decorated with a single trashcan.

"… Hm." Day looked back at the direction from which she'd come, feeling lost, "… Can't fight, can't think…"

Half hopefully, Day checked her phone… but found no messages awaiting her. She stuffed it back into her pocket, disturbing the other contents—somehow, she'd still managed to hang onto a few pieces of monster candy from the ruins.

Day was about to unwrap a green one when suddenly, an idea struck her.

She dropped the candy where she stood, then backtracked. First through the intersection with the "patience" screen, around the corner (she dropped another candy for good measure), then to the first crossroads. She took the middle path (dropping more candy), passed the pessimistic sign, and continued on.

Through more blind wandering, Day returned to the initial crossroads. She went straight, then deterred by the candy marker, took a right. Again, she found the "patience" message.

She mumbled the words to herself, thumb tapping, and pondered her options.

 _… Have I gone that way, yet?_

There was no harm in trying; Day walked to the right and found she didn't recognize the area. The path resembled a bridge, with heavy layers of the odd-smelling fog swirling beneath.

The bridge ended at a platform against the back wall, sporting a single dark doorway and, beside it, a welcoming elevator.

Day dashed over and practically slammed her hand against the "up" button. It was met with only silence, so she tried again. There was clearly desperation in her attempt, this time.

Nothing.

She made a sound of frustration, then stifled it, reminding herself to stay calm.

"With patience I'll make it through."

It gave her time to take a breath, and reason returned. There was a door, after all; she had a defined way to go now. It was a marked improvement over the winding maze of the core.

There was an odd emblem above the doorway that Day swore she recognized from somewhere. It resembled a circle with wings, placed over three small triangles.

 _It looks like an angel, kind of. And it's flying over… trees?_ she guessed.

It wasn't vital. She had to keep moving.

Unsure what lied inside, Day entered.

* * *

" _Oooooh… yes…"_

Day froze in the pitch darkness. It was impossible not to recognize the voice.

"Oh no…"

A spotlight clicked. Mettaton waited.

"Oh _there_ you are, darling," he called over, "I was worried you'd gotten lost in the core… quite a fun maze, isn't it?"

Day was decidedly quiet.

He offered a conservative chuckle, "It seems it's time to have our little showdown, hm? Finally time to stop the "malfunctioning" robot…" Mettaton suddenly let out a laugh, "NOT!"

She was caught off guard by the sudden snap, "Wh—what?"

" _Please_ darling… malfunctioning? Reprogramming? Get real." He made a sweeping gesture that seemed to go beyond the darkened room, "This was all just a big show. An act."

"… What do you mean?" It sounded only a bit more suspicious than it did confused.

Mettaton sighed and wheeled over, "Oh darling, don't be so naïve! You have to be able to see it by now…"

"See what?"

He pinched her cheek less than affectionately, "Alphys has been playing you for a fool this whole time!"

Day evaded him, "What? No she isn't!"

He laughed even harder and closed the gap, "Oh, contraire! She's been orchestrating this elaborate charade from the very beginning! As she watched you up on the big screen, she grew attached to your adventure; she _desperately_ wanted to be a part of it! So, she decided there was no better way to do it than inserting herself into your story!"

Day stepped back again, "But—"

"Don't believe me? She reactivated puzzles! She disabled elevators…" If he had a face, he'd have been smirking, "Sound familiar?"

"… I—"

"And, as the _pièce de résistance_ , she enlisted yours truly to torment you all the way through! All to save you from a danger that never existed in the first place! Ahaha… and _all_ so you would think she's a great person…" He scoffed, "… a great person that she's really _not."_

Unexpectedly, Day felt a stab of defensiveness for her friend, "Yes she is."

He waved it away, "Yes, of course, sure. Nevertheless, it's time for the "brilliant" Dr. Alphys' finest hour. At this very moment, Alphys is waiting right outside this room… and during our glorious "battle," she will burst in, pretending to "deactivate" me, "saving" you one final time." The explanation was heavy with air quotes. "Finally, she'll be the heroine of your adventure."

Disbelief still remained, and it convinced Day to hold her ground in the literal sense, "No. You're wrong."

Mettaton just raised a hand, mockingly coy, "Oh? Am I now?"

"Day?!"

She spun around—just in time to catch a glimpse of Alphys outside the room, seconds before a door slammed shut and separated them again.

"Alphys!" Day ran over to the door, searching futilely for a way to open it. There was no visible knob or handle anywhere.

"H-hey! Wh-what's going on?!" Alphys' voice was still audible from the other side, "The door j-just locked itself! D-Day?! What happened?!"

"Alphys, Mettaton is—"

She was yanked away by her sweater's collar, and to her horror, saw she was being gradually dragged over to the spotlight.

"Oh Dr. Alphys… what an admirable plan…" Mettaton clicked his tongue robotically, "Forcing this poor, impressionable human to admire you so highly, you'd be able to convince her not to leave…" His gaze drifted down to Day, who was resisting his pull, "Or… not."

Still struggling, she had enough sense to question, "What are you going to—do to me?"

"Well it's quite simple—" He cast her to the floor, taking the spotlight for himself, "I've had quite enough of this predictable charade. I, you see, have no desire to harm humans."

Picking herself up, chin now stinging a bit, Day was dubious.

"You don't?"

"Heavens no! Far from it, actually. _My_ only desire is to entertain. After all, the audience deserves a good show, don't they?"

At this, Ropey and Springy bounded out of the blackness, cameras poised.

"And what's a good show… without a plot twist?"

Red and blue lights sprung up around them in a ring, then with a powerful jolt, the platform where they stood began to ascend. Day yelped, barely maintaining her balance.

"Sorry, folks!" Mettaton announced, withdrawing a microphone and posing in full view of cameras, "The old program's been cancelled! But don't worry—we've got a finale that will drive you wild! _Real_ drama! _Real_ action! And best of all, _real_ bloodshed! All on our new show… _Attack of the Killer Robot!"_

* * *

"Wowie! Undyne! Day is on the Mettaton show again!"

"What?!" She practically leapt over the stairs' railing to see the TV herself, "Are you sure?!"

"Look!"

"… Crap. I think that _is_ the kid."

"She gets to perform with Mettaton again?! Talk about luck!"

"Uh… Papyrus?"

"Yes, Undyne?"

"Didn't he just say the new show is called "Attack of the KILLER Robot"?"

Papyrus didn't even hesitate, "Oh Undyne, you don't need to worry! The title is supposed to sound dramatic and suspenseful! That's what makes people want to watch it!"

Undyne still wasn't convinced, "Sure, maybe. But what if—"

"Ooh! Wait! I bet Sans will want to watch too!"

"Wha—Sans? Why?"

"Because Day is all of our friends! He'll want to see her shining moment on the screen, too! That's what friends are for, Undyne; emotional support!"

Before she could think to argue (though she had no rebuttal good enough), Papyrus had bounded up the stairs, and proceeded to knock repeatedly on his brother's door.

"Sans! Sans! Come out here! Quickly!"

Close to a minute had passed before the door was answered; half awake, Sans slouched against it.

"Hey bro. Where's the fire?"

"Sans, you have to come downstairs right now! Our human friend Day is on Mettaton's show again!"

Suddenly, Sans seemed much more tired, "Ah. Just tape it for me. I'll watch it later."

"But it's on live, right now!" Papyrus insisted, "Come on! We need to watch it and cheer for her even if she can't hear us! It's our responsibility as her dear and loyal friends!"

Sans scoffed a little, "Uh-huh. Look… I was kinda about to head on down to the lab, so how about you just come tell me how it ends and—"

He was practically yanked out of his slippers and hoisted into the air by Papyrus, who promptly marched them both downstairs.

Undyne gave them a single sideways glance, but added no caption. Her attention was diverted to the TV.

"See?" Papyrus asked, "It _is_ Day! I told you Undyne and I kept seeing her!"

Sans glanced at the screen. Blinked for clarification.

"… Wait. What the—"

* * *

"… Wait. You—"

Mettaton cut her off with a maniacal laugh, "Yes! It was none other than I! _I_ was the one who rearranged the core! _I_ was the one that hired everyone to kill you! It seems one of them came fairly close to succeeding, too!"

Day's leg began to sting, as if in conformation.

"That, however, was a short-sighted plan. You know what would be a _hundred_ times better?"

She didn't want to know.

The answer came regardless: "Killing you myself!"

* * *

"THERE! You see?!"

"It's just acting, Undyne! Right Sans?"

"…"

* * *

Day was flat on the ground again, only just evading a wave of bombs that were flung directly at her head. She covered her ears, still unable to stifle the deafening sounds of their eruption. It was becoming harder and harder to focus—Day nearly took a dive off the raised platform in the panic of fleeing an attack.

She skidded to another split-second halt, already beginning to shake.

 _I-I don't understand,_ the thought emerged through her jumbled consciousness, _Why does he want to kill me so badly?!_

More bombs were launched her way, she dove to avoid them—the bright lights and blaring music made the situation that much more hectic. Now the air was out of her lungs; she sat up, unable to regather her scattered thoughts. What was the mantra from earlier? Her thumb twitched instinctively, but brought forth no further recollection. It didn't help to calm her.

Mettaton seemed to grow tired of hurling bombs… without commentary, anyway.

"Listen, darling," he taunted when the smoke had cleared from a wave of bombs, "Let's not kid ourselves here. I've seen you fight… or rather, how you _don't_ fight. You're weak. And…" Mettaton chuckled, "Well, let's face it: a bit pathetic!"

Day's face flushed hotly… but she couldn't exactly argue the contrary.

"And that being the case, there's no doubt in the slightest that if you were to continue forward, Asgore would take your soul—ha! It would hardly take the strength of his little finger to accomplish as much! And _when_ he gets your soul, Asgore will take it and—gasp!—destroy humanity!"

He pressed a button on his face, cuing a recorded soundtrack of passionate booing.

"Tragic, I know! Oh, just think of the lost potential!" Mettaton pretended to wipe away a tear in sorrow, "But! If _I_ were to get your precious soul… I could stop Asgore's plan! I can save humanity from undue destruction!"

Where was this sudden altruism coming from? Day didn't know what to make of it.

"Then, using your soul, I'll cross the barrier and become the star I've always dreamed of being!" He sighed dramatically, "Oh… just think of the ratings! Hundreds, thousands… no! _Millions_ of devoted human fans will watch me!"

"B-but—but everyone will still be stuck down here!" Day deduced.

Mettaton offered a quick chuckle, then shrugged, "That's show business for you, baby!"

She frowned, "That's—th-that's mean of you."

"Have a few more bombs, darling."

Day zigzagged out of the way, no better at the task despite her repeated experience. She was going to tire out, and Mettaton would not yield. Unless he had an unexpected change of heart (ha) or someone jumped in to save her—

Her phone rang.

"Hello?!"

"Day! Uh, I—I can't see what's going on in there, but… d-don't give up, okay?! Th-there's one l-l-last way to beat Mettaton!"

"What is it?!"

"Darling, it's awfully rude to ignore my fabulous and flashy attempts to kill you."

"Alphys, what is it?!"

"It's… um… th-this is a work in progress, so don't judge it too hard… okay? B-but… you know how Mettaton always faces forward?"

Day had never realized it before, "Yes?"

"Th-that's because there's a switch on his backside. S-so, if y-you can turn him around… um… and, um… pr-press the switch… he'll be… um, he'll be… vulnerable."

"But how do I—"

"Well, g-gotta go!"

Day stared at her phone, then up at her attacker.

 _How do I get him not to look at me?!_ she silently panicked, _He's set on trying to kill me and—I-I mean, he wants to kill me so he can be famous and—_

 _… OH!_

"Um, excu—Mr. Mettaton?" she piped up, unsure if her hasty plan would work.

"Yeeees, darling?"

Day wrung her sleeves, feeling the pressure, "Um… th-there's… um, there's a m-mirror behind you, you know. In case y-you wanted to—t-to—"

"Oh? A mirror? Why didn't you just say so! I have to look perfect for our grand finale, of course!" Taking the bait, he spun around quickly.

Indeed, in the center of his back panel, there was a large yellow switch, appropriately labeled "SWITCH". Day inched forward, fearing what would happen if she was caught so close.

"Hm…" Mettaton scratched his head, "I don't see it anywhere… Are you sure you saw it, darling?"

"Um, y-yes?" Day lied nervously, "It's… I s-saw it…"

"Well I certainly don't—"

She panicked and pushed the switch in the opposite direction.

Mettaton froze completely. Day followed in suit.

…

He turned quickly, staring at her blankly.

"Did you. Just flip. My. Switch?"

"… I… um…"

Suddenly, Mettaton's metal body began to quaver with a deep resonance, seeming uncontrollable.

"Ooooh…" He held his head, disoriented, "Oooh my…"

Day had no idea what she'd just done, and took a cautionary step back.

The dials on Mettaton's face began to flash wildly, and if he weren't solely metal, he might have doubled over.

" _Ooooh…"_

"… Are you… okay?" she ventured, beginning to worry.

The flashing sped up, and the pulsing of sound deepened, becoming more violent.

" _Oh—oh—oh—!"_ He almost sounded in pain.

"Mettaton?! Are you—"

A blast of white light exploded. Day covered her eyes to avoid being blinded.

Then… silence.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes, only to see nothing but darkness, once again.

"… Mettaton?" she called out, receiving only an echo of her voice in return.

 _Did I break him?_

Then, something moved. A sound like a computer powering up was heard, lowly, almost like a purr.

Day clutched her arms to her chest, defenseless.

"H-hello?"

The mechanical purr came again, stronger than before.

Someone spoke. The words were familiar, but the voice sounded… strange.

" _Ooooh yes…"_

She started slightly, _Is that…?_

A spotlight filled the room with light. It was mired with fog, masking a dark figure within.

" _My my…"_ The voice was coming from it, "If you flipped my switch, darling… that can only mean one thing…" He chuckled, somehow softer than before, "You're _desperate_ for the premier of my new body."

"… N-new…?" Her voice sounded so much smaller, all of a sudden.

"Yes… and how _rude_ of you, too. But lucky for you… I've been aching to show this off for a _long, long_ time…" He seemed to draw out every word until it was silken, despite the robotic tones, "So… as thanks… I'll give you a _handsome_ reward. I'll make your last moments…"

He snapped. The surrounding lights went up. Day was appropriately speechless.

He was tall. He was glamorous. His hair flowed majestically.

He had legs. Boy, did he have legs.

" _… ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"_

… Well… there were certainly other ways to put it…

Mettaton snapped again, and the area roared to life with music and colorful lights.

" _Oh, at last!"_ He spun where he stood, throwing his head back with glee, "How I've waited for this moment, at long last!" Mettaton wrapped his arms around his middle, as if hugging the new form, "At long _long_ last I'm… I'm me!" He laughed, "I'm finally me! Glorious, _glorious_ me! Ahahaha… ha…"

Not wanting to waste time, he planted both glaringly pink boots on the ground, flipping his bangs to the side, "Sorry darling… you have no idea how _marvelous_ this feels…!"

"… Yeah…" She stood awkwardly, half hoping that in his newfound excitement, he might give up on the fight—

He flashed a devious smile, "This is sure to make our battle _much_ more gorgeous and glorious—won't it?"

It seemed she wasn't so lucky. Day stood ready, waiting for his attack.

Mettaton still appeared much more interested in himself, examining every inch of the form.

" _Oh!_ The shoulder pads are simple _stunning!"_ He gasped, " _And the legs!"_ Mettaton raised one into the air, testing it out with a kick, " _Lord!_ You could fry an egg on these gorgeous things!"

Naturally, he posed, adjusting his stance with every word: "Lights! Camera! Action! Drama! Romance! _Bloodshed!_ "

Suddenly, he stopped.

"Oh! My god! I nearly forgot!"

Mettaton sprung over, grabbed Day by the sweater, and practically head-locked her into remaining close.

"We just _have_ to get a "before" shot!" He was pulling her over to one of the cameras, "You know, _before_ the bloodshed occurs! I want to get a few pictures of this _fabulous_ new form before it gets a spot on it—"

Day was instilled with panic at the sight of the camera.

"N-no!" She fought against his metal hold, digging her heels into the ground.

"Oh, no need to fuss! Now, smile for the camera—"

" _N-no!"_ With a sudden fierceness, Day was able to wriggle free. She backed up, paying no heed to what lied behind.

Mettaton turned to face her, momentarily confused. He recovered with a laugh.

"What a darling!" he commented, "Just imagine it, folks—a _human,_ camera shy! Of course, it's understandable… next to a body like this, ahahaha!"

Day continued to evade him, shaking. Nevertheless, Mettaton pursued.

"Come now, darling! The entire underground wants a shot of you; hundreds, perhaps a thousand monsters craving to see your face… well, more than likely to see _me,_ but let's forget specifics!" He reached out to take hold of her hand—

She swatted it away, " _No!"_

Mettaton paused again.

"Well that wasn't very polite."

Day held her arms close to her chest, body tightened painfully. The lights flashed disorientingly. The music was hammering into her head. The camera—was too close—

Her eyes were glued to the ground, despite the danger it could put her in.

"Is there a problem?" He didn't ask so much as he did snap it, "You're holding up the show again, darling."

Day wasn't listening.

He huffed, "You know, some monsters would _kill_ for this opportunity! Bright lights, music, an achingly famous and beautiful celebrity to perform alongside, in front of an adoring crowd of fans and die-hard admirers—who wouldn't want that?"

"Me."

The answer caught him off guard; Mettaton actually stepped back, staring at her as if she'd grown an extra head.

" _What?!"_ He was aghast. "Why would you say such an unbelievable thing?!"

Day pulled up the neck of her sweater to shield her face, cowering.

Mettaton was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, struck speechless...

… Then, he turned to flash a well-composed smile at the waiting cameras.

"Well would you look at that? I do believe it's time for our union-regulated break! Just sit tight until we return, folks!" He winked, "Until then, stay fabulous, beauties and gentle beauties!"

At the cue, the cameras powered off, leaving the two pyropes operating them to look at one another in confusion.

Mettaton stooped down with a quick huff, "There. I'm only doing this because a crying child is pure poison for ratings."

Day pulled down the collar halfway, then stubbornly muttered, "I'm n-not crying."

"Of course." It was patronizing. "Now, what seems to be the issue?"

She didn't speak at first, unsure she wanted to admit it to him.

Mettaton sighed, "Darling, we don't have a lot of time, as is. Why don't you want to make things easy and play along? You can't just stand in front of a camera for a few seconds?"

She shook her head.

"And why, pray tell, not?"

"…I don't…" Her voice broke, leaving the rest sounding incredibly pitiful, "… want them to be upset with me."

He gave her a look, "What? Who? Upset with you for what?"

Day hid her face again.

Mettaton frowned, "Any day now."

"Everyone." It was muffled by the sweater.

"Everyone? Well, that was almost a full sentence; everyone upset with you for what?"

"… For… doing bad."

Mettaton blinked, "Darling, I'm afraid you've lost me."

Day unwillingly pulled down the collar again, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Everyone watching," she repeated, "People I know… my friends… they'll be wanting me to do a good job… and have expectations and…" Her grip tightened on the sweater, clutching it like a lifeline, "A-and if I mess up… if I don't do well… th-then… then they'll be upset. They'll be mad. Because I-I was supposed to—because they expected me t-to do well. And I didn't. They'll be d-d-disappointed and think I did it on purpose… and… a-and…"

Day was shaking. This time, she really was about to cry.

"A-and it'll be my fault… because… I'm n-not…" She struggled to wrench out the words, and practically with a spasm, she blurted, "G-good enough."

The confession left an emptiness in her stomach, so Day wrapped her arms around it, biting back tears. She only partially succeeded.

… Then, Mettaton made a sound. He was chuckling.

"Is that so?"

Her defenses flared, seeing he was taking enjoyment in her insecurity. Day refused to look at him, face hardened angrily.

"Heh… you know what, darling? I think I know precisely how you feel."

Day's resolve to remain unresponsive shattered—her gaze flew up.

"You do?"

"Perhaps." He shrugged, "Of course, I won't go into it—we've got a schedule to keep to." Keeping details to a minimum, he simply offered, "We'll just say that I too was insecure in my abilities, once. But those days are long behind me—and do you know why?"

She shook her head.

"Because I found my purpose in life—" He raised his arms in a dramatic gesture, "—entertainment! There's no better way to feel fabulous than making others feel fabulous, as well! That's why the show must be bold, daring, and grand!" Mettaton stood, "The audience deserves a good show, darling! There's very little you can do to disappoint them, if you give it all you've got!"

Day wrung her hands, still unconvinced.

Seeing this, Mettaton crossed his arms, pondering.

"Hm…" He glanced down at her, a plan forming, but unsure how willing he would be to comply, "… Perhaps there is something we can do to remedy your predicament…"

Eventually, his face set into a determined smile.

"Oh… to heck with improvisation! Sometimes, one must confine themselves to lines and cues, for a definitive show!" He knelt down again, "Darling, I've got a plan! A plan so fool-proof and seamless, you'll have absolutely nothing left to be uncertain about! But first, I must ask you _one_ question…"

Day nodded, "Okay…?"

His grin flashed, fueled with a bubbling passion deep underneath.

"How's your acting?"

"… Excuse me?"

* * *

"—right! You don't let that obnoxious metal box push you around, kid!" Undyne shouted at the currently fuzzy screen, "You don't wanna play along, you hold your ground!" She looked about to drive a spear through the television- it wouldn't have been the first time.

Papyrus, on the other hand, was much less confident than before.

"But I thought… she stopped acting scared a long time ago?" he questioned aloud, "She was being quiet and scared again… but why would she be scared? Is there something to be scared of? Is she in real danger?" Papyrus glanced back at his brother, who was slouched across the couch, "Sans?"

Sans only shrugged, "Probably just stage fright, bro. She'll be fine. It's just an act—you know, like you said earlier."

"Right! Of course! Yes, an act! That does make more sense, now that you say it!... Yeah!"

Sans frowned. Papyrus wasn't nearly so gullible; he was trying to convince himself into believing it.

 _Wasting his time worrying over a kid he's never even gonna see again,_ was the unspoken musing that followed.

The image on screen changed, and Undyne announced to the rest of them, "Hey! It's back on!"

Papyrus sprung up to watch. Out of what he reasoned was simple curiosity, Sans joined them.

"Aaaaand we're back, folks!" Mettaton greeted, offering a dashing smile, "Miss me?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Sans! Shhh!"

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for—an epic, jaw-dropping battle with the human!" He stepped to the side to reveal Day, still frozen in place, averting her eyes from the camera's view.

"Time for things to get _explosive!"_ Mettaton rallied, hitting a button on his chest plate.

A series of tiny, Mettaton-shaped bombs shot forth, then with blinding speed, rocketed towards Day.

She sidestepped, just missing their impact.

"Ooh, too quick for me, I see!" He attempted the same attack, "Well how about _this?"_

A few feet away from the initial explosion, Day dodged again, scurrying to evade the projectiles.

It didn't take long for Sans to notice something odd. He watched again to confirm the theory.

Mettaton attacked, Day dodged—

"KID!" Undyne snapped, sounding exasperated, "GET YOUR EYES OFF THE GROUND! KEEP THEM ON YOUR ATTACKER!"

So Undyne caught it too. Day was somehow managing to avoid the attacks without seeing them coming… but how?

She sidestepped hurriedly, and just before the camera panned up, Sans spotted it—a glimpse of something red. A place marker.

"Huh." His tone was dark, "Isn't that interesting?"

"What? What's interesting?"

"Nothing, bro."

* * *

Day was nowhere near as anxious as before—she planted herself on the nearest red "x", waiting for the next attack.

It came, and she stepped to the side; they whizzed harmlessly past, exploding several feet behind her.

"Not bad!" Mettaton congratulated, "Not bad at all! But, how are you on the dance floor?"

A sparkling disco ball lowered from above, shooting out several laser beams in all directions.

"Just _try_ to keep up the pace, darling!" he challenged, laughing.

Day focused on it, trying to remember the pattern she'd been told.

 _Blue, blue, white, white, blue,_ she mentally recited, _Stay still, duck down._

Sure enough, the appropriate lasers were projected, and Day emerged unscathed.

"Magnificent! Inspiring!" Mettaton took his place in the center spotlight, "My, what an unbelievable performance! But oh, how distant we've grown!" He put a hand to his forehead, dramatically somber, "It's time for a nice, heart to heart chat!"

That was her cue; Day waited for the attack to begin, ready to run.

 _Was it clockwise or counter-clockwise?_ she struggled, trying in vain to recall the instructions.

The first wave of yellow lightning bolts were sent flying, and in a panic, Day ducked down.

Mettaton cackled, "Aha! Surely the next attack will do you in, darling! Truly, my power has no _counter!"_

The hint was sealed with a covert wink—counter-clockwise, it was.

When the next attack came, she was ready. Day ran in a counter-clockwise direction, circling Mettaton and avoiding each bolt.

As he'd said, the pink buckle across his middle had opened—the white soul remained vulnerable, the source of his attacks. Day's hand floated towards her phone… but she couldn't bring herself to withdraw it.

 _He said it wouldn't hurt him,_ she tried to assure herself, _That it's practically a pea-shooter._

 _… But… it's probably best not to take any chances._

Day decided not to take the opening.

To her confusion, it seemed she didn't need to, anyway. In contrast to his earlier energetic self, Mettaton was beginning to seem a bit… laggy. A jet of exhaust shot out from joints here and there, and the attacks were much more spread out than before. He was starting to get tired.

"Slowing down, are you?" he challenged, grinning, "Oooh, that won't do you any good! Not when I send out another—"

There was a sudden whir, and before either could comprehend it, both Mettaton's arms broke free and clattered to the floor.

Day gasped, covering her mouth, " _Mettaton!"_

He was unfazed, "Yes, that is my marvelous name—"

" _Your arms!"_

"Arms? HA! Who on earth needs arms…" He posed dramatically, "… with _legs_ like these?!"

It was optimistic, but Day was no less worried, "Are you okay—"

"Don't think this is the end!" He interrupted triumphantly, "I'm still going to win! The show must go on, darling!"

Undaunted by his dismemberment, he unleashed another flurry of attacks; these Day ducked beneath, seized with the urge to approach him.

Mettaton was surprised, "Er, darling? Don't you remember—" He caught himself, "I mean—lights! Drama! A-action!" He sent forth wave after wave of attacks, all of which Day was able to safely evade.

"Oh, enough of this!" Mettaton put an end to this, whether from exhaustion of legitimate frustration, "Do you really want humanity to perish at the hands of Asgore? Or…" His tone became less edged, "Or do you just believe in yourself that much? Ha! How inspiring, I must say! It's you or me, darling! But, I think we both know who's going to win!"

Day stared at him, unsure if this was part of the act or not. She didn't remember planning anything about—

"Now! Witness the power of humanity's _real_ star!"

 _Not part of the act! Not part of the act!_

She rushed to dive out of the way of bombs, round and Mettaton-shaped, lightning bolts, and the re-activated disco ball of despair.

" _Ah!"_ Day screeched, running around in a patternless frenzy, "Wait—I— _ah!"_

When all else failed, Day found the ground and _stayed_ there. Chaos flew by all around her, seemingly without end.

Suddenly, there was another whirring sound—a snazzy pink boot landed inches from her face.

"Oh no." She shot up, "Mettaton?!"

" _Ooooh my god!"_

He was completely without limbs, a mere torso and head balancing upright. Day resisted the urge to scream.

" _Mettaton! What happened?! Are you hurt—"_

 _"Ooooh my god, those ratings!"_ Mettaton was nearly in tears of joy, glorifying the numbers being shown to him by Ropey, "This is the most views I've ever had! Oh, this is just marvelous! Do you know what this means, everyone?! It means we've reached the viewer call-in milestone!" A small speaker opened up on his chest as he spoke, "One lucky viewer will be given the momentous opportunity to talk to _me…_ before I leave the underground forever! Let's see who calls in first!"

His speaker began to ring, and he grinned at the cameras.

"Well, let's see who it is! I'm practically bursting with anticipation!" The ringing ceased, and he answered, "Hi there, darling! You're on TV! What do you have to say on this, our last show?"

For a moment, there was no response. The moment lengthened. Mettaton waited, smile becoming strained.

"Er… darling? Are you still there?"

It appeared as thought they'd hung up.

"Ha… well, it must be a bad connection!" Mettaton reasoned to the audience, "We'll just try again and—"

"… Oh… hi… Mettaton…"

They were all startled by the voice, despite the fact that it was no more than a whisper.

"I really liked your show…" It went on, "My life is pretty boring… but… seeing you on the screen… brought excitement to my life… vicariously, anyway…"

Day knew exactly who it was. She smiled just a bit.

Mettaton seemed to recognize them too, but he did not smile. His eyes were wide, looking stunned.

"I can't tell, but… I guess this is the last episode? Well… I'll miss you… Mettaton… oh, I didn't mean to talk for so long… oh…"

"NO!" Mettaton suddenly shouted, "WAIT! BL—"

The dial tone sounded, cutting him off.

Mettaton was unresponsive for a moment, then, with great resolve, recollected his composure.

"H… it seems they already hung up." He cleared his throat, "W-well! I'll take another caller!"

The speaker rang, and was promptly answered.

"Mettaton! Your show made us so happy!"

"It sure did!"

"We loved watching you, Mettaton!"

It rang again, bringing a new set of voices.

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you!"

Another ring.

"Mettaton! There's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart!"

"AH! METTATON! MUCH LOVE! MUCH FABULOUSNESS! MUCH MISSING YOU ALREADY!"

"Thank you, Mettaton!"

Mettaton didn't speak at first. He just listened to the praise, astonished.

Gradually, his smile returned. It wasn't prideful or sassy, but rather something much more… touched.

"Ah… I… I see…" He allowed himself a moment, then looked directly into the cameras, "Everyone… thank you so much. I truly do appreciate all you've said, all your views…"

Day took the opportunity to approach, "Mettaton? Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course, darling. Just a few scratches, is all this is…" He was at eye-level by default now, and used it to speak to her equally, "Darling, perhaps… it might be better if I stay down here, for a while."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. You see… humans already have their stars and idols, up there… but monsters? They only have me. If I left… the underground would lose its spark. I'd leave an aching, Mettaton-shaped void that could never be filled. So… I think, for now… I'll have to delay my big surface debut."

Day smiled, relieved, "… Thank you."

"And besides… I think if you keep going… you may stand a chance against Asgore, after all. Perhaps not in combat, but rather… in other ways." He offered an encouraging nod, since he lacked other methods of expression, "I'm sure you'll be able to protect humanity, all on your own."

"… I don't know about that…"

"Ha, ha… it's all for the best, anyway. To tell you the truth…" His speech was starting to slow, "This form's energy consumption is… grossly inefficient… Why, in a few moments, I'll be out of battery power and…" He decided not to burden her, and instead ended with a smile, "Well, don't worry. I'll be alright. Knock 'em dead for me, darling."

Mettaton took a final look at the cameras, and the audience beyond, "And to everyone out there watching… beauties and gentle beauties… thank you. You've been a great audience!"

* * *

All three stared at the blank screen, silent.

"… Well." Undyne was the first to speak, "That was… really…"

"Really…?"

Finally, she settled on: "Decent."

"Decent?! It wasn't just decent! It was beyond decent! It was AMAZING!" Papyrus was positively over the moon, "Did you see how Day dodged all those attacks? Wowie! No doubt she got good practice from our own epic battle!"

"Yeah? Well _I_ probably threw just as many at her as you did! I get at least half the credit! "

"Very well! We will share in the credit! Sans, wasn't it cool when—Sans?"

His brother was not on the couch, but rather heading towards the door.

"Sans? Where are you going?" Papyrus questioned.

"Just stepping out for a second," he shrugged off, halfway outside by now.

"Oh yeah?" Undyne challenged, "Stepping out to _where?"_

Sans stopped, giving her a sideways glance.

"I'm not gonna go bother your _gillfriend,_ if that's what you're worried about."

"Stop using that joke!" she snapped, suitably annoyed.

"Hey hey, calm down," he cautioned, "You'll end up sautéing yourself."

"SANS."

"What, are you saying I'm gonna regret it or something?"

"If this is a set-up for another stupid pun—"

"—like how I'll be out of the frying pan and into the fire—"

Undyne just roared with frustration, giving Sans the distraction he sought; he slipped away, scot-free.

* * *

"H-hey! Day!" Alphys dashed into the room, "I-I finally managed to open the door! Th-the darn palm-lock was still s-set for… a-are you two o—"

Day spun around as if caught in the act of something mischievous. Mettaton (or what was left of him) was frozen, eyes staring blankly ahead.

Alphys' face paled, "Oh my god." She scurried over as fast as her legs would allow, " _Mettaton!_ Mettaton—no—are you—" Not a moment to spare, she removed a screwdriver from the pocket of her lab coat, then used it to pry open the front panel of his chest. Scrambling, she dug around amidst the wires for something, "No—no, come on—"

Finally, she withdrew a small gauge, and upon seeing that it still emitted a faint glow, Alphys breathed a much needed sigh of relief.

"Thank GOD!" she exclaimed, "Oh thank god—it's just the batteries! I—Mettaton, I swear, if you were gone, I would have… I-I would have…"

Alphys was quiet for a moment, then quickly replaced the gauge inside his chest, "W-well, I mean, h-hey! It's no problem, you know? H-he's just a robot, so if you m-messed something up, I c-could always just… b-build another…"

Since she was distracted with her current work, Day tapped her on the shoulder.

"Huh?" She spun around, "What is it?"

Day held the dismembered metal limbs in her arms, "Um… do you… need these?"

Alphys started initially, then after a second, nervously laughed.

"Oh—wow. Y-yeah, you can just—just put them down there—" She adjusted her glasses, "Oh wow—that—th-that scared me for a minute there! Aha! Ha… s-so I guess I'll need to tighten those to the main frame, next time… ha…"

There was an awkward pause, broken when Alphys thought to ask, "S-so, how did it go?"

"It was… fun."

"Oh? That's good! Y-yeah, he can be pretty… uh, fun… wh-when he's not trying to murder you and all, r-right?"

Day didn't answer, studying her quietly. Mettaton's accusations still lingered in her mind… but she didn't truly consider them for long.

"Yeah." Remembering her ultimate goal, Day added, "But… at least now I can get to the barrier."

"Th-the barrier!" Alphys repeated it, sounding surprised, "R-right! Ha, I-I almost forgot all about that! Haha—imagine, forgetting the wh-whole reason you even c-came in here! Ha…"

"… So… um, how do I get there, again?"

"Oh! Right! Um, I'll—I'll take you there! Just, um…" She glanced at the two bouncing fire monsters, "Um… h-hey you two? C-could you maybe… w-wait here until I get back? J-just to, y'know… m-make sure Mettaton's… um… y-you know…"

They sprung over, devoutly at their boss' side.

"Th-thanks you guys!" Alphys said, then turned to Day, "W-we just need to go this way, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

"O-okay! Alright! L-let's go, then!"

Alphys led them into a simple, blue hallway behind the previous dark room. It was quiet—though perhaps the extreme contrast only came from the lack of earlier's raucous music. It was a welcomed change.

Alphys walked beside her at a somewhat lagging pace, so Day slowed to match it.

"S-so," she spoke up, "You're about to… to meet Asgore, huh?"

"… Yeah." Day rubbed her forearm warily.

"You must be…" Alphys stammered a bit, "Y-you must be… p… pretty excited about that, huh?"

"… I don't know…"

"W-well I mean—th-the "getting home" part of it, anyway! Once y-you get to the barrier… y-you'll…" She was wringing her hands almost painfully, "Y-you'll finally get to go home!"

It didn't draw out the same excitement it once did. Day merely nodded.

"Mm-hm."

"W-well—you're excited about that at least, r-right?"

"… Yes." She certainly didn't sound excited.

Alphys looked at her, confused, "… Oh… y-you're okay, r-right? Is s-something wrong?"

Day saw she was worrying her—she forced a small smile.

"No, I'm okay. Just… thinking."

"Oh, o-okay. I'll… l-let you keep thinking, then."

They walked in silence the length of the hallway, until soon, an elevator came into view.

"H-here it is," Alphys told her, "Th-this is… uh, I mean… th-this will take you… r-right to the capital! Wh-when you get there… j-just… stay on the main r-road, and… th-that'll—you'll find the king's castle fr-from there. Alright?"

Day nodded, "Thank you."

"S-sure! Uh, h-here, let me—" She hit the elevator's "up" button, and shortly after, the doors slid open.

Day hesitated before entering, looking back at Alphys with an almost pained expression.

 _I won't ever see her again,_ she realized. _I won't see her or Papyrus or Undyne or Miss Toriel or…_

"S-so…" Alphys waited at the doors, "Um… y-you ready?"

Day stared at her. Then approached.

Alphys jumped a bit, caught off guard by the unexpected hug.

"Oh!" She was initially frozen, then reluctantly, returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Alphys," Day said quietly, "Thank you for helping me."

"N-no problem," she replied, shorter than usual.

Her hug tightened, "I'll miss you."

"… I-I…" Alphys fumbled for words, "… Y-yeah… M-me too—I'll miss you too, D-Day."

As much as she wanted to do otherwise, Day managed to pry herself out of the hug, and without looking back, stepped inside the elevator.

"… Bye."

Alphys moved out of the way of the doors, which seconds later, began to close.

Day took a deep breath, readying herself for what was to come—

"W-wait!" Alphys stuck an arm inside the door, preventing it from closing completely.

Day turned around, confused, "Yes?"

"… Uh… I mean…" Alphys' eyes darted all around, "I-I mean, I was… just going to… s-say goodbye back… and… a-and…"

Slowly, her expression sunk into a frown. Her eyes sunk along with it.

"… I can't take this anymore," she breathed, sounding guilty, "I… I have to tell you the truth."

"… The truth?"

Alphys didn't look up at her, "Everything Mettaton told you… about it being an act… s-so I could… pretend to save you… h-he wasn't lying. I-I was." She shrunk, painfully, "I've been lying to you this whole time. About everything…"

Again, she cringed, "And… I have to tell you the truth… about the barrier. A-a human soul…" She took a breath, "A human soul isn't strong enough to cross the barrier alone. No m-matter how strong that human is. It takes... it takes at least a human soul… and…" Her claws curled over the elevator door, "… and a monster soul."

…

"So…" Alphys' head was down, as if under the weight of all she was revealing, "If you really want to go home… you'll have to take his soul. You'll have to…" Her voice weakened, "You'll have to k-kill Asgore."

Unable to bear it any longer, Alphys released the door and stepped back.

"… I'm sorry."

The doors closed, sealing her off from view. With a low hum, the elevator began to rise on its long ascent to the capital.


	24. Grey and Gold and Blue

_Ding!_

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a stone grey wall outside.

But Day did not move. At first, she didn't even notice that the doors had opened at all. She was busy. Thinking.

Eventually, she happened to look up. Nowhere near as driven to keep up the pace mere minutes ago, Day stepped out of the elevator…

… Still. She did not feel the urge to progress.

Thoughts were raging in her mind, so deafening and unintelligible that they may as well have been silence.

The grey wall gave way to more of the same grey wall. It was cold and quiet.

Day walked on, aimless. The grey path matched the rest of her surroundings, and she was given no alternate route to follow.

Assuming Alphys had told the truth on this matter, the path would take her to where she was supposed to go. It came to a bend; on instinct, not interest, she glanced upwards.

The city towered seemingly hundreds of feet above her, inches from scraping the top of the caverns. Gargantuan stone buildings spurred another wave of insignificance, so Day lowered her gaze. She followed the path.

It didn't wind or twist in either direction: just cut unapologetically through the city, immersing her into the grey, gloomy environment.

Purely to give herself something else to think about, Day continued to look around as she walked.

Everything, from the homes to the stores to the light posts, was grey; a worn, lifeless grey. There were no plants, no flowing water or lava.

But soon, she discovered, there were monsters. Hundreds of them.

They crowded every brick in the road, their conversations lingering at a low drone to match their monotone surroundings.

"Did you hear?" Someone whispered to another in a hushed, urgent tone, "Supposedly a human has been spotted in the underground! A real human!"

"It's been years since a human has fallen into the underground," another added, a tired voice suddenly gaining a note of hope in it, "This could be... The one."

"The last one we need..."

"The last soul...!"

Day focused her attention on the ground under her feet, hoping her face would be shielded from view by the sweater collar. She kept walking.

"Mommy," a child whined, "I'm cold."

"Tighten your coat, dear," her mother gently prodded, "It won't be too long, now."

"It will surely happen any day, now..."

"I hope you're right..."

"Don't worry. King Asgore has already gathered six souls..."

"Another has to come! It must!"

"He swears it will come any day now..."

"Soon..."

"He'll set us free!"

"We'll be free again..."

"King Asgore will save us!"

"He swears it; the day will come..."

"... The surface..."

"... Freedom..."

"... Back home..."

"... Soon..."

Day abandoned the path, ducking into the only area free of monsters— the alley. She pressed herself flat against the wall, framed on either side by an overflowing garbage can.

 _With the power of seven human souls, our king… King Asgore Dreemurr… will become a god._

 _And when he gets your soul, Asgore will take it and destroy humanity!_

 _He will finally take the surface back from those humans… and give them back all the suffering and pain that we've endured trapped down here!_

Her breathing was becoming hard to control, on the verge of hyperventilation. Day held her head, trying to make it stop. She couldn't escape the thoughts.

 _Understand, human? This is your only chance for redemption._

 _You know what would be more valuable to everyone?! If you were dead!_

 _Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom!_

"St—stop it!" she cried, as if begging an external force _._

 _If you really want to go home… you'll have to take his soul. You'll have to… You'll have to kill Asgore._

 _I am only trying to protect you! If you leave these ruins, they… Asgore will kill you!_

"N-n—" She didn't have enough control to even protest.

 _In this world…_

 _King Asgore will save us!_

 _...it's kill…_

 _He will set us free!_

 _...or be killed._

 _One more soul…_

Her shoulder struck one of the garbage cans, causing the contents to topple over her: a few greasy wrappers, some shredded paperwork…

… and a cowboy hat.

It brought an abrupt halt to her mental torment, so she picked it up, wiped off a few grimy tidbits, and gave it a closer look.

There were stains all over the yellowed fabric, adorned with a faded red ribbon tied into a lopsided bow.

Day stared at it for a moment, then glanced out into the crowded street of monsters. She decided her standards of cleanliness weren't all that important, for the time being. She set the hat on her head, pulled it down as far as it would go, and rejoined the fray.

She was ignored by all those who bustled past—with the limited eyesight and attention spent on her surroundings, it was up to the bystanders to evade her. Day just watched the bricks in the path continue, eyes poking out of the gap between her hat and sweater collar. For all she knew, someone could have been tailing her the whole way, and she would have been none the wiser.

The path stretched on, buildings just as tall and grey as they were at the start of the city. The cavern itself began to rise, steadily lifting off the towering structures. It gave way to something even more looming.

The king's castle.

The path leading up to it was framed by two lookout towers, though they seemed wholly unnecessary, that were just as gloomy and grey as everything else.

But at the base of one, for the first time, there was a glimmer of color; Day was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, as if part of her was starved for some hint of visual stimulation.

It looked to be a memorial of some sort, and a humble one at that. At the center sat a long grey vase with a single wilted golden flower. The petals curled back at the tips almost sickly, beginning to lose their vibrant hue.

Scattered around it were various trinkets, none more colorful than the fading flower: a faded, wrapped candy that looked to have once been pink, a beaded blue necklace that one would get as a party favor, a stout cream candle whose flame wisped feebly… and other objects of similar caliber.

Behind it, far up on the wall, was a plaque. Day lifted her gaze to read it, but the words remained just out of sight. A better vantage point proved useless; the inscription was faint and thereby illegible.

Day remained in front of the collection of items a moment longer, staring in quiet contemplation. She felt… something. It almost seemed odd, compared to the unsettling hollowness that had followed her out of the elevator and only grown as the city did. It was a stir in the pit of her stomach; something deep and somber. She wasn't sure how to combat it…

The grey of the vase almost tainted the faintly colored objects at its sides. After checking her surroundings, Day removed the dingy cowboy hat and loosened the ribbon adorning it. She retied it, in a neat bow, around the slender neck of the vase.

It didn't make a momentous change. But it helped the slightest bit.

She walked. And walked. The castle grew closer. And closer.

The path narrowed, a corridor channeling her into what lied beyond the outward walls of the castle. It continued, unsurprisingly grey, and then opened up.

Day halted in her tracks.

… She knew this place.

The small, cozy house with inviting lights shining through the windows.

But… how?

It almost pained her to enter, memories resurfacing like old wounds. It was just the same as…

… Only, it wasn't. It was… wrong.

It too seemed grey and dull, not warm and homely as she remembered. She looked towards the living room: the fireplace, the cushiony chair, the wooden table and chairs.

Four chairs. Were there supposed to be four? She struggled to remember, but drew only blanks.

Day turned the other direction, to the hallway with doors. Every few feet, a grey vase held small collections of the golden flowers, vainly attempting to conjure a cheery atmosphere.

She stopped at the first door. Her attention was focused solely on the handle.

…

Day abandoned it.

A chain held together by padlocks barred entrance to the stairs, though a note offered insight to the situation:

" _Howdy! I'm in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway."_

Rather than engaging in the suggested scavenger hunt, Day crawled beneath the chain. It made little difference how she got past, it seemed.

The stairs made her leg ache, and her attempts ignore it were thwarted without much resistance. Another dark and cold corridor, another trek that stretched on far too long.

Day was rapidly beginning to tire. She took no measures to stop her shoes from dragging, her form from slouching…

It seemed, though her subconscious longed to reemerge and engage in a second assault, it had instead lazily retired. What need was there for its added efforts?

The path opened on one side. Day looked.

It was a glimpse of the city, seeming no different than it was before. She followed the path.

Upon entering the next room, Day retreated almost instantly. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced in, wondering if she'd just been mistaken.

The color had returned unexpectedly. And it had done so full-force.

Tiles lined the floor, a rich orange and gold, drawing her eyes to the pillars of the same color. Adorning the walls were tall windows of yellowed glass, which gave the vaguest illusion of sunlight streaming in. They were decorated with the strange symbol: a circle with wings over three triangles.

At the end of this corridor, yards away, was a doorway beyond which nothing could be seen. The shadows inhabiting it were as saturated as the surrounding colors, nothing less than foreboding.

Day halted; she'd been walking mechanically, without noticing it. The doorway was much closer now.

Something began to prickle inside her, causing the sensation. An uncomfortable tingle, almost... as if it were crawling up her back...

"So. You finally made it."

Before now, Day's senses had numbed, giving way to her thoughts. The voice quickly remedied that.

She was no longer hollowed out. No, she was filled to the brim with something now.

That _something_ just so happened to be terror.

"Looks like you actually made it- to the end, and all." There was a sound like a chuckle, "Course, I never doubted you would. And hey, nice hat."

Day did not face the threat. She stared at her shoes, trying to hide the fact that she was shaking uncontrollably.

 _Don't say anything,_ she commanded herself harshly, _Don't say anything, don't do anything..._

There was, for a moment, a pause. It only added to her growing panic.

"... I guess I won't keep ya for too long," he said, his voice implying a shrug, "You've got something a whole lot more important to do. I just figured I'd send ya off, you know?"

Another pause. He wanted her to answer.

Fear gripped her insides, and Day wound her arms around her middle to stifle it. Nothing helped.

...

"... I'll be honest with you," Sans admitted, "When you showed up down here in the first place... well. Let's just say I didn't buy the whole "act." You know the one." He paused, "But I've seen ya interact with people down here: Undyne, Stripes, Shy... Art was telling me about you, too. And Papyrus." This pause stretched much longer than the previous, and was by no means empty, "... Papyrus cares for you a whole bunch, if you didn't pick up on that. But I think you did."

...

"What I'm trying to say is, us monsters don't see humans as people like you. We were expecting something a lot more..." He considered his words, aiming for potency, "... a lot _less_ friendly." He chuckled again, not out of humor, "Guess you're lucky you didn't meet my expectations."

Day just stood, her trembling subsiding to a moderate level.

 _Why is he here?_ she couldn't help but wonder, though a deep rooted sense of dread warned her that she might not want the answer, at all.

"See, the thing is... as a sentry, my connections go a lot higher than you'd think," he admitted, "The king and I... You gotta understand, his job ain't an easy one: tons of paperwork to fill out and whatnot. So, when I have the time, I end up helping out some." Sans pocketed his hands, "It's nothing big, just a few bits here and there to take the load off the king. Think of me as... a judge." He paused, "And jury." He paused again, "And, should the need arise... _executioner."_

The laughter that followed made Day jolt, confirming the lingering fear.

 _He- Sans is going to- b-but we were- I thought we were-?!_

"... But you know. My job's pretty easy today. You made it easy." His edged tone seem to soften, "You made it this far, kid. And you did it your way- without hurting anyone. Course, that doesn't mean you're completely innocent or naive... you just had it in you to do what's right. Can't fault you for that, now can I?"

By now, he seemed to understand that a verbal response wasn't coming. He let his expression sink.

"... Guess you're not thinking about that now, huh?" he offered, "You've... got something else to be thinking about."

As if there wasn't enough bombarding her mind.

"But I'm thinking, as long as you keep doing what you think is right... neither of us has anything to worry about."

For a moment, there was silence. A low, rhythmic sound broke it up: shuffling? Almost on instinct, Day checked behind herself-

-and yelped, shrinking back from his raised hand.

Sans blinked, taken off guard as much as she was.

"... Hey, what's up?" he asked, genuinely confused, "Something wrong?"

Day remained rooted to the spot, watching him fearfully.

His expression dropped into a frown, but only for a moment- a smile returned, thought it was tainted.

"Heh... kid? What's eating ya?" Sans tried to reach out again, to ruffle her hair.

Day's heart clenched, making her retreat once again. A gap as long as she was tall separated the two of them. She didn't lower her gaze, on high alert.

Sans' frown lasted much longer this time.

"... Day?" He was at a loss, "Kid? What's wrong? Why are you..." A faint laugh escaped, "You're not- you're not afraid of me all of a sudden, are ya?"

Day stared. Shaking.

"... Ha... kid, come on now...!" Both hands had escaped their pockets, trying to aid his case, "It's- you know me, don'tch'a?" He managed a grin, "It's your ol' pal Sans. Right?"

...

"Look, I know that- I'm not gonna hurt you, you know," he insisted, hands up to prove as much, "You trust me, right?"

Day didn't answer.

It clearly hurt. Sans tried to advance, "Kid-"

She froze up. Except for her hand. It flew up to her arm, protectively.

... Again, Sans' expression shifted. Not a frown. A scowl.

At first, he didn't speak. His hands found their way back into his pockets, prepared to remain there indefinitely.

"... Yeah." His voice had grown several degrees colder, sinking along with his eyes. "Wouldn't be smart to leave loose ends." He didn't even shift in his stance while the following pause stretched on, "... Guess this is it, then."

Guilt was beginning to creep in, but not enough to inspire action. Day waited with bated breath for the consequences of her silence.

Sans looked at her head on, unrelenting, "I won't waste anymore of your time. You've got two choices: you can kill Asgore, take his soul and go home. Do that, and monsters will be stuck down here even longer. Or, you let him take your soul, and that's it for you and the rest of humanity." His gaze finally did break, increasing his unpleasant expression, "You do what you want. If it were up to me, I'd have just given up like I do at everything. Guess you're better at actually doing stuff."

Day longed to speak, but knew it was too late.

After another jagged pause, Sans turned his back on her.

"I'm rootin' for ya, anyway," he said bluntly, "You've done good so far. Don't see any reason you'd screw it up now. So. Good luck, human."

He took a few steps, then in a flash of blue, vanished.

Once again, Day was alone. She stared after the direction Sans had disappeared... and finally managed to project herself into motion.

"S-Sans?" she whispered, knowing deep down it would do little good. Of course, there was no answer.

The looming presence of the doorway still towered over her, making her involuntarily glance back. It seemed even closer, even darker than before.

Day tore her eyes away, but could feel its pull regardless.

If she kept going, she'd face Asgore. If she faced Asgore...

 _I can't fight him, I can't fight him- I'll lose- he'll- take my soul-_

The weight was returning to her chest, making it harder to breathe.

 _I can't fight- I can't hurt him- but everyone wants to be free- but they need- I'd have to-_

Her head was fuzzy as hyperventilation picked up; Day struggled for control. Her eyes were swimming with tears.

 _I can't- I can't- I- CAN'T!_

She spun on her heels.

 _I CAN'T!_

Her legs clumsily propelled her into a run.

 _I can't!_

The tears spilled over and streaked down her face.

 _I... I can't..._

Day fled the corridor, avoiding what lied beyond.

* * *

Flowey popped up among the pile of grey leaves. This place was always boring. He frowned and searched, knowing she couldn't have gotten far.

Indeed, a few feet away, the girl was curled up on her side. Her whole body was shaking; the crying was blatantly obvious.

Flowey rolled his eyes, making a noise of annoyance.

 _What a crybaby._

Seeing as his presence remained unnoticed, he grinned, then employed a loud laugh.

"It's about time you got here!"

Day stopped shaking abruptly. It had been a while since she'd heard the voice- but the laugh was unmistakable.

Cautiously, she sat up, eying him with equal surprise and fear.

"Fl-Flowey?" she squeaked, voice quavering.

He giggled with glee, "Well look at you! Just as beat up and st-st-stuttery as last time!"

Her face burned, and she wiped away the excess of tears with an angry expression.

"Aw, did I make you mad?"

Day turned her back on him rather than answering, still rubbing her eyes.

Flowey cackled again, "Wow, you must feel _so_ stupid! You put in _all_ that work trying to be "good" and do the right thing.. hehehe... and for _what?!"_ His giggles increased in intensity, "So you can be stuck down here forever? Guess you won't get home, will you?"

She didn't answer, hugging her knees and hiding her face.

"Guess life is just that unfair, then! Even when you think you do everything right, it all just crumbles around you!" Flowey was absolutely relishing his torments, "Why don't you cry about it some more? Maybe _that_ will fix things!"

Day stifled the fresh tears, radiating heat in embarrassment. She refused to listen, as if she had a choice.

Next thing she knew, Flowey had sprung up in front of her. His grin was so wide it looked painful.

"You know," he began, speaking slowly this time, "... You were kind of a jerk to Dr. Alphys. Seems to me like you couldda been a much better friend to her."

She turned away, avoiding additional guilt.

"But hey, at least you did one thing right! You got that smiley trashbag to beat it!"

 _Who?_

He sensed her confusion, "You know, the garbage one! The one stalking after you the whole time... Papyrus' useless brother!"

"Leave me alone, Flowey," she snapped, letting the anger fuel it.

Flowey positively beamed, "Make me!" He cackled, then repeated the challenge, "Make me stop! Do it! Do it, Day..." Vines began to inconspicuously snake up from the ground, inching towards their intended target, "You have to do it sooner or later... you can't avoid it! So pick one: it's either _kill_ or _be killed!"_

Day's head remained buried, oblivious to the oncoming threat.

A musical jingle broke the tension.

It took a second to register properly, but Day eventually withdrew the phone and answered.

"... Hello?"

"Hey there, punk!" Undyne's voice was blaring as usual, "You staying out of trouble?! Where are you now?!"

Her stomach knotted painfully, "... Uh..."

"You know what, never mind! Listen! I'm in Snowdin with Papyrus- you need to get your butt down here right now, okay? I got a job for you to do! I'd better see you in ten minutes, TOPS! Hear me?"

"... I'll..."

"I'm taking that as a yes! Don't keep me waiting!"

 _Click._

Day stared down at the phone, mulling over her options.

Something reentered her attention, and she jerked her head to the side to address it-

But Flowey was long gone.

She checked and rechecked, but could find no trace of her floral friend.

"... Hm."

... _Now what?_

Day hugged her knees again, struggling to come to a decision. For some reason, it was much harder find reasons to keep traveling- backtracking, this time. Just... why? What good would it do?

...

She pushed herself to her feet, fueled with the remains of some large determination stronghold. Undyne wanted her to do something. So, she would do it. With a quick tug at the brim of her hat, shielding her face from view, she set of for the grey city- Snowdin was quite the walk away.

When the room was silent again, Flowey reemerged. He caught the last glimpse of Day's worn out black shoes as she disappeared down the long walkway.

He grinned maliciously.

"Oh," he mused, not hiding his glee in the least, "This is perfect... just _perfect...!"_

Flowey sunk back into the soil. He had catching up to do.

* * *

 _ **Short, but I just had to reassure everyone that I was still alive and the story along with me. I have five chapters left, as it now stands. I hope to finish by the end of the year... but it is senior year, for me. I can't make any promises I won't keep. So I hope you'll stick around. Thank you for reading.**_


	25. There's Something About Alphys

_**Surprise, I'm not dead. Just filling out college applications. Did'ja miss me?**_

* * *

The boat gently bumped against the snowy bank, and a wave of icy water sloshed over the shore.

"Thank you," Day told the riverperson as she stepped onto the dock.

"The waters are wild today," it said, as if it hadn't heard her speak, "That's bad luck."

No explanation followed, so Day awkwardly replied, "Oh… um… thank you for letting me know."

A chilly gust of air swept by; in a way, she was glad to be back in Snowdin.

Day walked for a bit, the area unfamiliar to her… there were a few little houses nearby, but none she'd focused on particularly, before.

The path soon opened up to a much larger area of the town; a tall, orange-bricked building was to her left. She stood in front to read the sign above the door: "LIBRARBY."

 _"Librarby?" Is it supposed to say "library," instead?_ She wondered. Then, it clicked—Papyrus had mentioned it once before. Exactly when, she couldn't recall. It all seemed so long ago…

Day passed the ironically misspelled library, and just as soon as she truly began to get a sense of where she was going—

" _Day!"_ Papyrus waved wildly, making quite the spectacle of himself, " _Day, over here! It is I, the Great Papyrus, your best friend!"_

He and Undyne were waiting in front of the brothers' house, and in no time flat, had filled the distance separating her from them.

Papyrus scooped her up and spun around joyfully, "Nyeheh"ing the whole time.

In another instant, both she and Papyrus were hoisted into the air, instilled with a sense of dread brought on by Undyne's cackling.

" _Your_ best friend, huh?" Undyne laughed again, "I don't think so, Papyrus! That kid's mine!"

"Undyne please do not suplex the skeleton! Or the human!" Papyrus begged, "She is easily breakable!"

"HA!" She set them down in a manner somewhat gentle (or at least as gentle as she was capable of being), "Both of you can take a lot more than that! I could suplex you all day, and it still wouldn't leave a mark!"

"Nyeheheh… heh… maybe we will not try it, though." He beamed down at Day, "I am glad you are back! For a while I thought the last time I saw you really was going to be the last time I saw you before you met King Asgore and went home! But I'm glad that is not the case, aren't you?"

Day blinked—somehow, she hadn't heard what he'd said. She was sure she had been paying attention…

"Day?"

It brought her out of her head; she shook it vigorously, "Sorry, I wasn't—I didn't hear you."

Papyrus cocked his head, "You didn't hear me? Why not?"

"I don't know… I was listening. I thought…"

"Well, that's okay! I can say it again!" Papyrus repeated with no less enthusiasm than before, "I said, I was afraid the last time I saw you really was going to be the last time I saw you before you went home—but I am glad that is not the case! Aren't you?"

She nodded, "Mm-hm." It sounded nowhere near as sincere as anything he had said, so she added with great deliberation, "I am too."

There seemed to be a hint of something in the look Papyrus gave her, and if she hadn't been taking measures to prevent it, she would have frowned. It was like she'd been caught in a lie.

"Day?" he asked, sounding puzzled, "You're acting very differently."

"I am?"

"I think you are." He stroked his chin with a mitten, "But in a hard to describe way."

"She's probably freezing, Papyrus!" Undyne cut in, "Hell knows I am! Come on—we found her, so let's go inside already!"

Papyrus blinked, "Oh! Yes, that's—that must be it!" He held out a hand, "Come on, human Day! Let's go back to my wonderful house—it wouldn't be good if you were to stop working, again!"

"Again?" Undyne questioned as Day hurried to match Papyrus' pace, "What do you mean _again?"_

"Oh, that is a very scary story, actually! You see—"

His voice slowly faded out of Day's attention as they walked, making her worry; last time this happened, she'd blacked out in the snow. But a quick check made her realize that she wasn't freezing: a little chilly, but nothing more. Why was it so hard to listen then?

Again, she became aware that her mind was wandering—ironically, she was focusing so much on paying attention, that she _still_ wasn't paying attention.

 _I don't understand..._

They made it to the brothers' house in one piece, and Day welcomed the warmth. It was much more homely than the stark white lab…

With it came the memory of Alphys. She ended the train of thought abruptly, a knot forming in her stomach. She let her eyes wander, searching for a distraction. There was a painting of a bone framed on the wall between Papyrus' room and—

The knot tightened, and she frowned at the floor, growing increasingly frustrated. Maybe doing nothing at all would be the least upsetting.

"Wowie! You have a new hat!" Papyrus noticed, squatting down to be at eye level, "It makes you look very adventurous!"

Day shrugged, removing it to look it over a second time, "It's a little old. And dirty."

"Pft! That only means it's seen many dangerous quests!" he reasoned, "Think of it as well-worn! An antique!"

Slowly, her mouth twitched into a smile, and she felt the desire the play along. Day stood on the tips of her toes to place it atop his head.

"There."

Papyrus beamed, straightening up into a heroic pose, "Nyeheh! Perfect! Now the Great Papyrus shall seem even more adventurous and brave to all those he meets! Don't you think so, Undyne?"

She gave him a skeptical look, "You look like a mash-up between a super hero and a cowboy."

"I will assume that is a good thing!"

Undyne rolled her eye, "It is." She turned her attention to Day, somehow seeming less calm, "Um. So I have a favor to ask you."

Papyrus snickered, "Yes she does… a favor that does not have anything to do with an idea I came up with about Dr. Al—"

Undyne's eye flashed, "Papyrus I'm telling her! _"_

He was undaunted by her outburst, continuing to hide his snickering behind a mitten.

"… Anyway… I have this… uh, this thing…" Undyne fished around in the pocket of her jeans, eventually withdrawing a white envelope. She was about to extend it to Day, but hesitated a second, keeping it locked in her grip.

Day looked at it curiously, "What is it?"

"Uh, w-well—" Day was shocked to hear the stammer, "It's just a… a letter. I gotta—I want you to give it to… Dr. Alphys."

"Why?"

Undyne seemed to go pink in the cheeks, "It's just—it's just a note! Friends are allowed to do that, aren't they?!"

She shrugged, "I guess so."

"Undyne tries to write letters all the time," Papyrus piped in, "But she can never seem to find the right words! So when she goes to deliver them herself—"

" _Papyrus."_

"—She always quits so she can go back and rewrite! That's why she needs you to do it—because you have no standards!"

Undyne's defensiveness dropped, and she let out a peal of laughter, "Papyrus! That was harsh!"

He blinked, "It was?"

"Besides, that's not why I'm having you do it!" Undyne assured, giving Day a clap on the shoulder (Day had to ensure her arm wasn't dislocated afterwards—Undyne seemed to have little control over the power of her affection), "Really, it's because… well… Hotland _suuuuuuuucks!_ I don't wanna have to go over there!"

Day didn't blame her, so she nodded obediently.

Undyne again tried to extend the envelope, hesitated… but then grunted and shoved it forward, "So. Here! Take it before I change my mind, alright?"

Day received the envelope, eying the oddly curly penmanship that adorned the front, displaying Alphys' name.

"Oh, and one more thing," Undyne added. She knelt down, in the manner one would address a small child. She offered a sweet, non-threatening smile, "Just remember this, okay Day? You listening?"

She nodded, though a tad suspicious of this sudden shift in personality.

Undyne continued to smile, "Remember: if you read it…" Her teeth flashed, razor sharp, " _I'll KILL you!"_

Day gulped. She didn't consider it an exaggeration.

The sweet smile returned, "Thanks so much! You're the best!"

She assumed the task was urgent, so she headed towards the door, mentally preparing herself for another Snowdin excursion.

"Wait!" Papyrus called after her, "Day! You forgot something!"

Day checked herself, but found nothing missing.

"I did—?"

The hat was plopped down on her head, and she was wrapped up in a hug.

"You forgot to say goodbye!"

She couldn't help it; Day smiled.

"Oh. Yeah." It would have been a crime not to return the hug, so she did, "Bye Papyrus." She waved, "Bye Undyne."

"See ya, punk."

"Here, I'll walk you to the riverperson!" Papyrus offered, opening the door for her. Day followed, catching hold of his scarf to keep up.

They walked for a bit ("bounded" would have been a bit more accurate in regards to Papyrus), and far too soon, they made it to the snowy riverside. The riverperson waited silently, its boat bobbing rhythmically in the icy water.

"Well, good luck!" Papyrus wished her, "I'm sure Dr. Alphys will love the note Undyne wrote! It's got to be perfect, being the tenth draft and all!"

"Yeah," Day agreed, stepping onto the boat.

"…Um, human Day?"

She glanced back; Papyrus meshed his mittens together, looking conflicted.

"… Yes?"

"If… if something was bothering you, you would say so, wouldn't you? So that I could know what was wrong and help you?"

Day opened her mouth… then withheld the initial reply.

… She eventually nodded, "Mm-hm."

"Oh, good!" He sounded relieved, "So if there was a problem right now, you would tell me?"

The back of her neck started to prickle, "Mm-hm."

He rephrased the question a few more times, and each time Day denied it, she felt even worse. But she didn't want to bother him with it.

 _He doesn't know about the barrier, or about Alphys, or... what Sans said,_ she reasoned, _it would only make him feel worse. I can't be his friend if I hurt him like that…_

Once she had answered each rendition of the question, Papyrus seemed to be convinced.

"If you are sure, then I will believe you!" He offered a wave from the riverbank, "See you again soon!"

Day nodded, "See you, Papyrus."

The riverperson turned towards the river, "Then we're off."

The boat pulled away from the dock, and gradually, Papyrus was diminished to a small speck, then disappeared entirely.

Day sighed, casting her eyes down to the sloshing water. Her reflection frowned back at her.

"Tra la la… What's inside an acorn?"

"… I don't know. What?"

"It's really just a mystery."

"… Okay…"

* * *

Day knocked on the door again. It thunked metallically.

Still, no one answered.

"… Alphys?" She knocked, "It's just me."

But nobody came.

She frowned, looking the lab over. There didn't seem to be anything else she could do.

What was she going to tell Undyne?

The thought prompted her to knock again, a bit more frantically.

"Alphys, are you here?"

Deep down, she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

Another minute of silence passed, and Day sighed. She bent down to leave the note at the door, but noticed there was a small gap between it and the ground.

"Oh." She slipped it underneath, only slightly alleviated of the guilt brought on by failing her mission. At least now she knew Alphys would get it. Eventually.

When nothing seemed to chance, Day turned to leave—

She froze.

There was a giant head staring at her from the middle of the path. It was grey. It had large, round eyes. And it was grinning.

Day's heart leapt into her throat, mortified.

It was just a head, nothing more. It shouldn't have been there. It didn't belong.

Despite this, it didn't seem to pay any mind to its absurdity, and continued to exist quite contently. It sounded like it was breathing out of its mouth, making Day shudder.

There was no going around it, as it took up the entirety of the path. So, Day had no choice but to offer a meek wave.

"H-hi," she managed to whisper.

It continued to breathe audibly, its head rising and falling in time with it. The unshifting gaze seemed to bore a hole right through her.

"… Um…" Day tried again, "C-can… do you… n-need something?"

…

She was beginning to feel that she was trapped between two unresponsive sources.

"Can you… talk?"

Nothing. Then—

" _I understand why Asgore waited so long to hire a new royal scientist."_

Day shrunk back in a single movement, shaken to her core.

The voice was wrong. It was monotone and breathy, but that wasn't the worst part. Somehow, it sounded as if it came from miles away. Distortion marred it further, like heavy static.

There was no change in its demeanor, as if it hasn't seen her at all.

" _The previous one… Dr. Gaster… his brilliance was irreplaceable."_

The name jolted her to attention, "Did you say—"

" _However, his life… was cut short,"_ the head continued unabated, as if it was only a recording, " _He vanished without a trace._ _They say he shattered across time and space. One day, his experiments went wrong, and…"_

It suddenly ceased speaking. Then, its smile seemed to widen.

 _"Well, I needn't gossip. After all, it's rude to talk about someone who's listening."_

The door slid open suddenly, making Day turn.

"Hey if this is a joke then—" Alphys stopped short, losing the words once she saw Day. The envelope was opened in one hand, and the letter was unfolded in the other.

"… Oh—" She stammered, "Oh my god—um—"

For a moment, Day thought that she was reacting to the terrifying head on the path outside, and glanced back to take another look—

—to find that it had vanished just as swiftly as it had appeared.

"D-did you—" Alphys was bright pink, "Day, did y-you write this?"

Confused, she returned her attention to Alphys, "Uh—"

"Th-there wasn't a signature anyway," Alphys explained, "Heh, it was… heh, s-so adorable! I-I had no idea you, um, f-felt like that! Or wrote so passionately!" She reread the letter, blushing even more than before, "It's… it's surprising, too. After… you know… all that gross stuff I did… I mean, I-I don't deserve to be forgiven, much less… th-this?"

Day frowned, but didn't speak. What in the world had Undyne written?

Alphys nibbled on one of her claws, indecisive. But then, in determination, she forced her arm to her side.

"You know what? Okay!" She was smiling now, "I'll do it! It's the least I can do to make it up to you, after all!"

"Oh… do what?"

"Well, let's g-go on a date!"

She was speechless.

 _Wait. WHAT?!_

"C-come on inside, if you want!" Alphys offered, scurrying off, "I—I'll get dressed in just a few minutes, I s-swear!"

Day entered inertly.

 _I can't tell her I don't want to go,_ she slowly realized, _That will hurt her feelings. Ugh, why didn't Undyne sign her name?! Or bring letter over herself?!_

It seemed that if she wanted to avoid causing any painful embarrassment, she would have to grin and bear it for now, and continue with the date despite the fact that she held no romantic feelings for her friend.

Again.

"Why can't I just say the right thing when it matters?" she muttered to herself, trudging deeper inside the lab.

"Well aren't you a big ball of sunshine today, darling?"

Day was surprised to recognize the voice and searched for its source.

Mettaton lounged at the computer desk, glittery pink boots propped up against it. He waved a few fingers.

"Mettaton?" She hurried over, "You're fixed!"

"Yes, Alphys did a _marvelous_ job on the repair work—not a scratch to be seen!" His smile faltered into an expression tinged with annoyance, and he held up a long black cord that was attached to his chest, "Now if only we could do something about the atrocious battery life."

She nodded politely, relieved that he was back in one piece.

Mettaton nodded towards the escalator to Alphys' room, "So I hear the two of you are going on a date?"

Day couldn't help but sigh in defeat, "I guess we are."

"Don't be so excited, please!" he teased, picking her up and setting her on the desk, "Why, I had no idea—you know how to hide your affections, don't you, darling?"

She checked to make sure Alphys hadn't reappeared, "Um… Mettaton?"

"Yes darling?"

Her voice lowered into a whisper, "I… I didn't write that note. Undyne did."

Mettaton stared at her… then guffawed.

" _Oh my!"_ He slapped a hand on the desk, " _Oh you poor thing!"_

" _Shhh!"_ she warned hurriedly, "Don't let her hear—"

"Darling—" He regained his breath, "Darling, just say something about it!"

"But I don't want to hurt her feelings!"

"Oh, she'll be fine! She's a big girl!"

"I don't want to embarrass her either!" she insisted, "It's… she's happy about it, so I can do it."

Mettaton sighed, propping his chin in his hands, "Oh dear… you're too precious for your own good, you know."

Day wrung her hands anxiously, "What do I do?"

"It looks like, for one, you should go on this romantic date you promised," Mettaton advised with a snicker, "After all, you're just dating the girl that the captain of the royal guard is pursuing—what could possibly go wrong?"

The realization made Day pale, "… Undyne's going to kill me, isn't she?"

"Not if you don't get caught, she won't," he replied mischievously.

He wasn't helping much, but Day made another attempt, "But… am I even allowed to?"

"Allowed to…?"

"To go on a date with Alphys?"

Mettaton looked at her oddly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Day grasped for words, "She's… a girl…?"

"I can see this relationship will flower—you already know so much about her."

"But I'm a girl," Day emphasized, her point missing him entirely, "Is that allowed?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

…

Day just shrugged.

"Precisely." Mettaton leaned back to call up the escalator, "Alphys, darling! Your stunning date is waiting for you!"

"H-hold on!" she replied frantically, "I'm almost dressed!"

He sighed dramatically, "If you say so… but do hurry! I may take your place, instead! What do you say, human? How would you like to date a fabulous movie star?"

 _Sure, do you know any?_

Day was caught off guard by the mental remark and hid the smile it evoked. Sans had successfully rubbed off on her.

"I'm coming! Hold on!" Alphys dashed down the escalator and skidded to a halt, "W-well? Uh, d-do I look okay?"

She had shed her lab coat for a black dress with little white polka-dots, and stood before them shyly.

Day smiled and nodded, "You look—"

"—absolutely stunning, darling!" Mettaton emphasized theatrically.

Alphys cast her eyes down bashfully, "Th-thanks. Uh, my friend helped me pick out this dress. She's got a great sense of style…"

"Speaking of style," Mettaton muttered to Day, swiping her cowboy hat, "This is not doing you any favors."

She flattened her ruffled hair, doing her best to appear half as nice as Alphys.

Mettaton smiled like a proud parent, "I suppose you two should be going… on your incredibly romantic date… that there's no getting out of…"

"W-w-wait!" Alphys shrieked, "Actually—we can't start the date yet!"

He feigned a gasp, "What? Why ever not?"

Day gave him a look as if to tell him to be nice.

"I can't—I mean, I've g-gotta give her items that help raise her affection statistic, first!"

She blinked, "I'm sorry?"

"She's gotta give you gift."

"Oh—that's okay, I don't need—"

Alphys was already long gone, disappearing inside the room on the ground floor as Day had seen her do countless times before. She returned a moment later, her arms full of small items.

"Good thing I've been stockpiling gifts in anticipation for a date like this!" She held up a glass jar, "F-first, I've got some metal armor polish! For… um…"

Alphys realized her error and slowly placed the jar on a far corner of the desk, "Maybe… uh, maybe you can't use that… But! I've got something else! See!" Next came a circular plastic container, "Here's some waterproof cream for your scales."

Day blinked, "My… scales?"

"… Um." The container was discarded alongside the armor polish. "Let's, uh, try that again—this one is a repair kit for magical spears, and—you know what, actually? Um, l-let's just forget about the items, maybe?"

Mettaton robotically cleared his throat, making both girls devote their attention to him. He was "covertly" nodding towards a particularly cluttered area of the desk, trying to pass along a hint to Alphys.

"Wh… what are you… o-oh!" She scrambled to pick something up, then held it out to Day, "Here—wh-what about this?"

It was a neon green pen, topped with a purple fluffball.

"Thank you." Day accepted it in appreciation, petting the top, "It's cute."

"Y-yeah, I thought you'd like it," Alphys said, sounding immensely grateful a gift had come through, "B-better than a cold cup of noodles, anyway... heh..."

The silence following her statement stretched on… and the awkwardness grew.

Mettaton rolled his eyes, "So…? Are you two going to date now?"

"Oh! Yes! Let's, uh, let's date! Uh, here—" She offered Day a hand, helping her vacate the desk, "… So… yeah! It's… time to date!"

…

The unwelcomed awkwardness made its presence known once again.

"Although I hate to interrupt this stunning conversation," Mettaton commented, sounding disappointed in the both of them, "Perhaps there's a better way to fan the flame of your affection?"

"What? H-how?"

Mettaton cast a glance at the piles of Insta-noodles cups and soda cans, "A change of scenery, for one."

"G-go somewhere else?" Alphys repeated, "Oh… um… y-yeah! That could work! B-but… where could we go…?"

"WELL, I do just so happen to know of a _lovely_ restaurant right here in Hotland!" Mettaton cut in, regaining the theatrical tone, "I'm quite fond of it, actually. Nowhere else will you find such a fabulous, glamorous environment..."

"Oh!" Alphys piped up, "W-wait! I know the perfect place!"

* * *

"W-well, uh, here we are!" Alphys finally announced when they were settled. Day nudged a candy bar wrapper with her shoe, and it floated away to join its brethren.

In the garbage dump.

"So, do you come here oft—oh, oh wait! I remember!" Alphys answered her own question, "You did! You fell in, and were talking to Papyrus on the phone…"

 _Shortly before being attacked by a mad dummy,_ Day silently added.

"Yeah… you know, Undyne and I come here all the time," she commented, "We find all sorts of great stuff here, from the surface! Anime, video games, manga… sometimes there's even some really cute clothes! Ha, Undyne likes to try and find different things to turn into weapons… eheh, she's really…"

Alphys trailed off, looking down at her hands. Her blush had returned.

It was delayed, but slowly, something clicked in Day's mind.

The armor polish, the scale cream… all the times she'd acted funny before…

 _Wait a minute!_

"Alphys?"

"Y-yes?"

"… Do you… maybe… like Undyne?"

Alphys went rigid, eyes widening from behind her glasses. She opened her mouth to speak, and only managed to force out a prolonged "Uuuh…"

From somewhere in the garbage dump, there was splashing.

"Yo, Alphys! You here?"

It was Undyne. Both Alphys and Day panicked.

"Oh no!" Alphys shrieked, "It's—it's Undyne! I-I can't let her see me here—on a date—w-with you!"

Day cocked her head, "Why?"

Alphys blinked, realized what she'd said, "Why? Uh… I… b-because she… um…"

Undyne's footsteps grew closer, and Alphys lost her nerve; with a squeak of terror, she ducked behind an inconspicuous trash can. It obscured all but her yellow tail from view.

Day too scanned the area for a place to hide, but it proved fruitless. In another instant, Undyne had rounded a mound of garbage, spotting her.

"Oh, hey!" she greeted, "There you are!"

"Yep!" Day replied, her voice high from concealed fear, "I'm… here!"

Undyne approached her calmly, and Day noticed that she too had changed her attire. She was wearing a grey turtleneck, black leather jacket, dark pants, and a maroon eyepatch. Something was different about her hair, too.

She was given an odd look, "What? What are you staring at?"

Day blinked, "You look nice."

Undyne smirked, "You sound surprised."

"No! I just—"

"I'm just messing with you, punk." Undyne laughed, "But listen, I was looking for you. I need that letter back!"

"… You do?" Day prepared herself for an explosion.

"Yeah! I decided… I need to deliver it! It's just—it's a better idea! So give it to me!"

 _Uh oh._

Her expression alone seemed to be enough for Undyne to understand the situation.

"Y-you gave it to her already?!"

Day hurriedly nodded, "Y-yes ma'am."

"Well have you seen her then?! She wasn't at home when I checked—just that dramatic as hell robot, telling me to come looking for her here!"

The exposed yellow tail began to quake in fear, and Day did her best not to give it away.

"I—um—"

"Well? Have you seen her here?"

She swallowed, "N-no ma'am?"

Undyne groaned, "Great! Just great!" She stomped past Day to continue her search, "You tell me if you do, alright? Tell her that I need to see her!"

The splashing diminished, and Day retreated to the garbage can, fearing her return.

Alphys emerged, "Oooooh my god…"

Day peered over, saying nothing.

Alphys caught the expression and stared down at her hands, starting to laugh nervously.

"S…so I guess… y-you didn't… y-you weren't the one who… wrote that letter after all?"

Her cheeks burned, caught in the lie; it was her turn to look down.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings," she admitted quietly.

Alphys suddenly snorted in laughter, then covered her mouth, embarrassed the sound had gotten out.

"Oh—d-don't feel bad!" she assured, "Th-this isn't your fault, Day! You were just being nice—ha, no wonder you seemed so uncomfortable—no, it's totally fine! You're good! I just… eheh… I guess… it's pretty obvious, huh? That I…" Alphys wrung her hands, making a final attempt to withhold the confession, "I… really like her. M-more than I like other people, I mean."

Day nodded.

Alphys sighed, "I'm sorry for—you know, making you do… all this… I j-just figured it might be fun to go on cute little… pretend date with you? To make you feel better?" As soon as she heard the words out of her own mouth, she cringed, "… Well… it sounds even worse, when I put it like that."

She sat down on a pile of garbage, "I'm sorry. I messed up. Again."

Day sat beside her, paying no mind to the soggy piles of trash beneath them, "It's okay. I think we were both trying to do the same thing… to not make each other feel bad."

Alphys tried to smile, "I guess so, huh?"

"… So… why don't you just go on a date with Undyne?"

Alphys burst out laughing, as if the suggestion had been the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"N-no way! I-I couldn't do that!" she blurted incredulously.

"Why not?"

"Ha! Well she's—she's _way_ out of my league! I mean—haven't you seen her? She's so confident… and strong… and so funny…" Alphys' growing smile sank, "And… well, you've seen me. I'm not like that… Heh. I'm basically nobody, compared to her. I'm j-just… a big fraud."

Day frowned, "No… you're really good too! You're so smart—"

"I-I mean—I might be the royal scientist, b-but… I haven't really… done anything." Alphys wasn't looking at her anymore, "I've just… hurt lots of people. A-and I've told so many lies—she thinks I'm a lot cooler person than I actually am. S-so if she got close to me, she'd… she'll find out the truth about me."

There was silence. Day felt the urge to speak… but what could she say?

"… Um…" She picked at the bandages on her hands, "Well, if you don't want her to _find out_ the truth on her own… then you could always tell it to her first?"

Alphys was baffled, "Th-the truth? B-but what if she hates me?"

"She won't hate you."

"B-but what if she does? I mean, isn't it better this way? T-to live a lie where both people are happy?"

Day thought about it… then came to a realization of her own.

"… I don't think so," she admitted.

"O-oh?"

"Well… we both lied about wanting to go on a date…" Day didn't continue, letting the implication speak for itself.

Alphys considered it, "… W-well… maybe… b-but, well… maybe it could be okay, in this case? I mean, you know, people are always saying "be yourself" but… I'd rather just be whatever it is that makes people like me, you know?"

Day frowned, but couldn't speak; it would make her a hypocrite. She studied her soaked shoes, silent.

Beside her, Alphys was practically doing the same. Both sat, pondering.

"… No," Alphys finally admitted, "No, you're… you're right. I'm… I'm always scared of people finding out the truth on their own… and what might happen… Th-that's still hurting people, right? I don't want to do that, anymore." Her momentary soberness was broken by panic, "B-but still—h-how am I supposed to tell Undyne the truth?! I-I don't know what I'm supposed to say or anything!"

"Hm." Day thought about it, "… Why don't you practice with me? I'll help you."

"Pr-practice it?" Alphys repeated, "You mean like… like roleplay?"

She blinked, unfamiliar with the term. But, assuming the two basic words inside it held the meaning, Day took a stab at it, "I think so?"

"Oh… Heh, you know that—that actually sounds kind of fun," Alphys admitted, grinning a little. "Okay, l-let's try it! S-so… which one of us should be Undyne?"

Day hesitated, "… Maybe… me? So you can practice what you want to say to her…?"

"Oh. Right. Of course." Alphys laughed, "Right. Uh. So let's… let's try."

She stood up off the garbage pile, then cleared her throat, "Um… h-hi Undyne! How… are you doing today?"

Day realized that this was harder than she had anticipated; how was she supposed to act like Undyne?

"Um…" For a start, she hopped off the garbage pile, trying to stand cool, like Undyne. She stood up straight, making herself as tall as possible, unintentionally puffing out her chest, "I'm… fine."

"Ha! I'm glad to hear it!" Alphys replied. Day wasn't sure if she was laughing out of nervousness, or at her failed impression. Either way, she continued, "Uh… s-so, Undyne, I'd… I'd like to talk to you about something, if that's… cool?"

"Yeah? What is it, Alphys?" Day longed for a spear to throw or a bolder to suplex, to help her feel more in character.

"Well, you see…" Alphys was beginning to flounder, "Um… I… I…"

"Yeah?"

"… I may not have been… entirely… t-truthful with you…" She shook slightly, "Y-you see, I… I…"

Day was about to break character to offer help, but before she could, Alphys cracked.

"Oh, forget it!" she blurted, "Undyne, I-I want to tell you exactly how I feel! Y-you're so brave and strong and n-nice! Y-you always listen to me wh-when I talk about nerdy stuff and you always d-do your best to make me feel special like—like telling me you'll beat up anyone who gets in my way—"

Alphys was growing increasingly louder the more she went on, "—and—and— _oh Undyne I can't take this any longer! I'm madly in love with you!"_

Day was dumbstruck by the rush of passion and remained rooted to the spot.

 _Maybe we should try again in a minute,_ she thought, unsure how something like this would go over in reality.

"—and then she would be like, 'H-hotbaby?! How dare you call me that?! What's gotten into you Alphys?!' And I'll say, 'I don't know, Undyne! It just felt right!' And she'll say, 'First off, I'm a baby _knight,_ captain of the babies! Treat my position with respect or I'll strike you down!' An—and then—"

She realized she'd zoned out at the wrong time; Day was completely lost.

"… Uh…"

"—a-and then—we'll _kiss-!"_

"… What did you just say?"

Both girls froze at the voice, and very slowly, turned around.

Undyne blinked.

If by some astonishing chance Alphys wasn't completely embarrassed before, she surely was now.

"U-Undyne!" Alphys hands clamped behind her back, jittering madly, "I—oh you heard—ha—n-no, I was just—uh—"

"Hey, whoa!" Undyne interrupted, grinning, "Your outfit's really cute!"

"O-oh, this?" She tugged at the material modestly, "Th-thanks."

"What's the occasion?" Undyne asked casually.

"… W-well…" Alphys adjusted her glasses uncomfortably, "Y-you see…"

Undyne's attention shifted from Alphys to Day, and then back again.

"Wait a second." Her eye narrowed the slightest bit, "Are you two… on a date?"

Day hid her arm behind her back in order to cling to it fearfully.

 _ALPHYS. HELP._

"Uhhhh… yes!" Alphys blurted.

 _ALPHYS NO._

"I mean—uhhh, n-no!" she corrected, "I-I mean, we were, but—we were actually just uh, romantically roleplaying as you!"

Day hid her face in her hands, ashamed for the both of them.

Undyne looked utterly baffled, " _What?!"_

"GAH! I mean—I mean—" Alphys really was trying, Day could tell. She looked over helplessly, and Day could only nod, hoping the meaning was understood.

"It's okay," she mouthed.

Alphys jerked her head down in a nod, then swallowed heavily.

"O-okay." She took in a deep breath and faced Undyne, "I… Undyne… I-I need to tell you the truth."

"The truth?"

"Y-yes. Th-the truth… a-and the truth is… th-that… I've been lying to you this whole time."

"You what?!"

Alphys backed up a bit at the remark, flinching.

"What do you mean you lied?" Undyne clarified, "About what?"

"About… about everything! L-like— I told you that seaweed was like, scientifically import and everything, b-but really I was just using to make ice cream!"

Undyne and Day shared a similar expression; it seemed to say "… That's it?"

But Alphys wasn't done, "A-and those 'human history books' I keep reading—they're just dorky comic books! A-and the 'history movies' are j-just… j-just anime… they aren't real… A-and that one time I told you I was busy with work on the phone, I was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas and didn't wanna say so… a-and then—"

Undyne had approached, kneeling down to meet Alphys' height, "Hey, Alphys."

"I-I just wanted to impress you—"

"Alphys."

"I wanted you to think I was smart and cool and not some… nerdy loser…"

She put a hand on Alphys' shoulder and was speaking comfortingly, "Alphys…"

Alphys focused on the ground, "Undyne, I really think you're neat, okay…?"

Undyne hugged her friend, "Hey, Alphys. Hey… shhh…"

Day stayed out of the way, simply smiling at the spectacle.

 _I didn't know Undyne could be so nice…_

And then, in a single motion, Undyne hoisted Alphys into the air and tossed her into a nearby trash can.

Day gasped, "Undyne! What are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, punk, I've got a plan," she assured coolly. With a quick tug, she straightened her jacket, then faced the trash can head on.

"Look, Alphys!" she began, "I… I think you're neat too, I guess."

Alphys' head slowly rose from the trash can, "Y-you… do…?"

Undyne nodded, "Yeah. But you gotta realize that most of those things you said don't really matter to me. I don't care if you're watching kids' cartoons or reading history books or whatever—to me, all of that stuff is just nerdy crap anyway! You know what _I_ like about you?"

"… N…no?"

She grabbed the trash can and jostled it, "What I like about you is that you're _passionate!_ You're _analytical!_ It doesn't matter what it is—you care about it a hundred percent, at maximum power!" Undyne paused, then continued, calmer, "… So, you don't have to lie to me, okay? I don't want you to have to lie to anyone, anymore. I wanna help you be happy with who you are!"

Alphys was blushing, but Day didn't think it was from embarrassment this time. She was smiling, too.

"… You… do?"

Undyne stood over her, "Yep. And I know just the training you need for it."

"Y—you're—Undyne, you're going to—t-train me?" It was filled with giddiness.

"Pft, what? Me? Nah."

Alphys lost her grin, confused, "O-oh… but then, who…?"

Slowly, majestically, Papyrus arose from a pile of garbage.

"I'm gonna get Papyrus to do it."

 _How long has he been waiting there?_ Day wondered, almost laughing aloud.

Papyrus wasted no time, hopping out from behind the garbage and lifting Alphys from the trash can.

"Let's get those bones shakin', Dr. Alphys!" he encouraged, adorned with more sweatbands than were probably necessary, "We'll be performing my usual morning routine for a boost of self-confidence! We'll start out by jogging a hundred laps, hooting about how great we are! Oh hi Day! Want to go with us?"

She shook her head, "No thank you."

"Get ready, you two," Undyne warned, "I'm about to start the timer!"

"B-but Undyne—" Alphys hesitated, then settled on a nod, "I-I'll do my best."

"That's the spirit! Now let's jog!" Papyrus started off through the dump, Alphys at his heels, "Now, when I say 'Who's the greatest?' you say 'I am!' Let's try! Who's the greatest?"

"I-I am?"

"Again! Say it proudly, Dr. Alphys! Who's the greatest?"

"I-I am!"

"I can't hear you—well technically I can, but it's a figure of speech to get you to say it louder! Who's the greatest? Tell all of Waterfall!"

"I—h-how many laps are we d-doing again-?"

Gradually, their voices vanished, and Day was left alone with Undyne.

Day watched her, feeling a small sense of pride for her friend's actions.

Undyne caught the expression, "What?"

She shrugged, still smiling, "Nothing."

"… She was kidding though, right?" Undyne questioned.

"About what?"

"About those cartoons and those comics…" she looked legitimately concerned, "Those are still _real_ , right? Anime is real, right?!"

"… Um…" Day found as many other things as possible to look at besides Undyne, "Well…"

 _Oh come on, did you listen to anything you told Alphys?_ she chastised herself.

Day sighed, knowing that she needed to be honest, "… No, it's not."

Undyne gasped, a hand flying to her chest.

"N-no!" She sounded absolutely devastated, " _Nooo! I can feel my heart breaking into a thousand little pieces!"_

Day felt awful, "I'm sorry, but…"

" _But the swords, the action, the princesses…!"_ Undyne took in a sharp breath, practically holding back tears.

"…No." She breathed again, "No, I can survive this. I have to be _strong. For Alphys."_ Her last words were whispered, with the devotion of a dying vendetta.

When Undyne had composed herself again, she offered Day a smirk, "Well… for what it's worth, thanks for telling me the truth, Day. And… for taking care of Alphys." She ran a hand through her ponytail, "I didn't get to say what I wanted to, but… things look like they're gonna get better for her."

Day nodded, "I think so."

"Jeez, I'd better catch up with them—" She dashed though the garbage water, waving back at her, "Later, Day!"

She returned the wave and Undyne vanished, leaving her alone with the trashy company.

Subconsciously, Day reached down to scratch her hand—the bandages were old and crusty, by now. Figuring the scratches would be healed, she peeled off them off in disgust. To avoid littering (despite the fact that she was surrounded by garbage already), she dropped them in the empty trash can.

Day flexed her fingers, finally freed. Now if only her leg would heal as quickly…

 _I guess… I'm supposed to follow them, too,_ Day thought, not finding anything of particular interest in the current setting.

Her soaked shoes emitted a dull squeak with every step, and she shuddered. This was not her idea of a "romantic date" spot.

A large item in the water nearly made her trip, so Day flipped it over with her foot. It was a hard-back book, the pages compressed with water, and the cover nearly illegible. Straining to translate it, Day knelt down to decipher the title. It looked like "A Child Gets Stuck in a Cave."

"Hm." Since she could do nothing for the poor abandoned book, Day was forced to leave it where it was.

Once she had left the garbage dump, she made her way towards the dock to find the riverperson, in order to hitch a ride back to Hotland. At the head of the path, Day spotted a doorway that she'd never noticed before. There was nothing especially eye-catching about it, but she was still curious as to what lied inside.

Cautiously, Day approached it from the side, poking her head around the frame to peer within.

"Hello?"

"Hey there, friend!" Gerson chortled, "Fancy seein' you 'round here again!"

She beamed, "Hi Mr. Gerson!"

The tortoise-monster laughed again, "Well, come on in then!"

Day entered the small rocky cave, walks glimmering with small multicolored crystals and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It seemed to be a shop of some sort, with items piled up atop a large wooden crate adorned with a blue blanket.

"Oh, is this your shop?" she remembered.

"Sure is, kiddo! The best place in Waterfall to buy junk! Wah-ha-ha!"

There were indeed a collection of odd wares on display; apples that seemed to resemble crabs, a pitcher of a glowing aquamarine liquid, and a pair of scuffed up glasses.

Gerson chuckled, picked up the glasses, and placed them on her face, "Didn't lose these walkin' around, did'ja?"

Day was rendered completely blind, and she stuck her arms out to avoid toppling into anything.

"No," she replied, giggling a bit. Before the clouded lenses could distort her vision further, Day removed them, blinking the world back into focus.

On the back wall, a shape began to emerge. Day shook her head and squinted.

"… Mr. Gerson?" she asked, "What's this?"

Gerson looked for what she was referring to, "Eh? You ain't never seen that before? They're all over the underground."

"I've seen it," she clarified, "But no one's told me what it means."

"Ah, I hear ya! That there's called the Delta Rune." He patted the indention with a hand, "It predates written history, for us monsters. Now, the original meaning's been lost to time, but best we know is that the triangles symbolize us monsters below, and the winged circle above symbolizes... something else."

Day blinked curiously, "Something else?"

"Yeah…" He scratched the back of his neck with a claw, "Most figure it's the angel from the prophecy and all—"

"Angel? Prophecy?" Day was lost.

Gerson looked at her strangely before slapping himself on the forehead, "Gah, keep forgettin'—yer a human and don't know nothin'! See, there's a prophecy that every monster down here knows by heart. Legend says that one day, a sort of "angel" that has seen the surface will descend from above bring us freedom."

"Really?"

Gerson cringed, "Well… lately, people've been takin' it a different way, havin' a bleaker outlook on it all… they been callin' it the "angel of death," instead. Thinkin' it's some sort of harbinger of destruction, waitin' to "free" us from this mortal realm." In case she missed the implication, he sternly reworded, "That bein'… _killin'_ us."

Day cringed too, "… oh." She scratched the back of her hand, careful not to disturb the remaining scabs, "... What do you think it is?"

"Me? Well, I don't know nothin' 'bout what the prophecy intends... I just think it looks pretty neat!"

She looked back at it, thinking, "... Yeah."

Gerson just sighed, turning back to the rune, "Yep… The Kingdom of Monsters…" He scoffed, "Great name, eh? It's like I always say; Ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans!"

Day let slip a laugh, "What?"

"King Fluffybuns—you know, Dreemurr. He's the one who named everything down here: Hotland, Waterfall, New Home… ain't half as good at namin' as he is rulin'."

Still, Day giggled, "Maybe not… but… 'Fluffybuns'?"

"Yer wondering why I call ol' Dreemurr Fluffybuns?" Gerson chuckled, "Well now that there's a great story!" He had a hand raised to launch into the tale… but said nothing.

"… Yes?" Day prompted.

Gerson stroked the wispy beard at his chin, "… Hm… You know… I think I forgot."

Day withheld a dismayed sigh.

He chuckled, "I'll remember it pretty soon! Swing by again and I'll tell ya all about it."

Day nodded, "Okay." She edged back towards the doorway, "I have to go follow Undyne… I'll see you later."

Gerson waved, "Be careful out there, kid! Come back if ya wanna hear more of my ramblings! Wah-ha-ha!"

As soon as Day had stepped out of the shop, a flash of movement caught her eye; something dashed into the shadows to her right, down the path. It almost looked like…

"Zeta?" Day called out, "Hey, Zeta!"

The monster disappeared, having apparently not heard her.

Longing to see her friend again, Day took off after her as fast as her bandaged leg would allow.

"Zeta!" She couldn't see any trace of her—the monster was much faster than she remembered, "Zeta, wait for me!"

She reached a disproportionately small gap in the path, bright blue water flowing between the two ends.

Day studied it, pondering a solution, when something quacked beside her.

A small yellow bird turned its head this way and that, sizing her up.

She knelt down, experimentally reaching out her hand to pat it.

"Hello there," she greeted sweetly, "Aren't you cute?"

It seemed flattered by the praise, and in a flutter of feathers, plopped itself down on her shoulder.

Day giggled, "Aw, I love you too, little—"

Her sweater was gripped tightly in its feet, and it began to rapidly flap its wings. Before she knew it, she was suspended mere inches above the surface of the water.

Before she could panic, she was set down safely on the other side of the gap.

"Wh…" Day stared at the bird, astonished at its apparent strength.

It just quacked again, and flew off.

"… Huh."

She continued to follow the path that Zeta must have run down, passing more banks of water, the dull old telescope… and soon, she was pattering along the rickety wooden docks. Splinters still protruded from the indentions made by Undyne's spears, and Day took special precautions to avoid them.

A small monster came into view, sitting at the edge of the dock.

"Zeta—"

Day halted in her tracks.

It wasn't Zeta.

The monster was grey: like Zeta in shape, but devoid of all colors. It was like the head, almost seeming to flicker in and out of view.

Fear began to boil up inside her, so Day retreated a few steps.

Her movements weren't acknowledged, and the monster continued to stare out across the water, motionless.

Something about it made Day feel… pity.

Trying to ignore the unsettling sensation it gave off, Day inched forward, gradually coming to stand beside it.

"… H…hello?" she whispered, half hoping she wasn't heard.

Slowly, it turned its head to stare at her. It possessed purely white eyes, devoid of pupils.

"… Hello."

The voice was distorted as she'd expected, but something new surprised her. It spoke in Zeta's voice, though… beneath it, there seemed to be another. Something lower…

Day voiced none of these observations, and instead forced herself not to flee.

"… Can… I sit with you?" she offered.

The monster stared at her blankly.

"… Yes."

She did, crossing her legs beneath her rather than dangling them off the dock. Glancing down into the water, she saw only herself, sitting alone. Day looked up, finding the monster still beside her, reflecting on its thoughts.

 _… What's going on?_

The monster continued to stare out at nothing, still except for an occasional twitch, in which it seemed to disappear for half a second, then return.

Day folded her hands and set them in her lap, quiet.

For a few long minutes, the two sat in silence. Only the sounds of trickling water provided the ambient sound between them.

Then, the monster spoke.

"Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same… only you don't exist?"

...

"Everything functions perfectly without you," it continued, "You aren't needed… and you aren't missed. Or remembered."

Day stared at the monster, unsure how to feel.

Slowly, its face shifted into a smile: inert and hollow, not cheerful.

"Ha, ha…" The laugh sounded like a forced breath, "… The thought terrifies me."

…

Day became very focused on the fabric of her shoe laces.

"… I've… never thought about that," she admitted. _But now I won't be able to stop thinking about it.  
_

There was no response. She had to do better than that.

"But… you don't have to worry about that, do you? Because I'm talking to you right now—so you exist, then. Right?"

…

The monster stared at her, expressionless.

Day rubbed the back of her hand, glancing away for a moment, "… Um… s-so, what's your name? I'm—"

It was gone by the time she returned her attention to it.

She searched the immediate area, but found no trace of the monster. Whoever it was, they had left.

Day couldn't help but ponder what they had said. She dangled her feet off the ledge of the dock, letting them sway aimlessly.

…

It was a scary thought.


	26. Dark, Darker, Yet Darker

Day noticed the phone on its third ring. It brought her out of her thoughts.

 _How long was I sitting here?_ she wondered, but put little effort into finding an answer. Instead, she took out her phone, careful not to drop it off the dock, and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Howdy! If it isn't my good friend! My good friend who trusts me! This is Papyrus—you know, your also good mutual friend! Whom you trust!"

She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about his tone seemed… suspicious.

"Hi Papyrus," she greeted, "Are you still jogging with Alphys?"

"Ah! Well! Funny you should ask!" he responded, a bit stilted, "Alphys and I finished our training early! Very early! So I sent her home! _Very_ home!"

"… Oh. Okay."

"Yes! Now… er, I feel strongly and for no apparent reason whatsoever that I should tell you to go there, also! To her lab… house?" Papyrus laughed nervously, "I have nothing but good feelings about this, I can assure you!"

As confused as she was with this sudden shift in Papyrus' demeanor, Day disregarded her suspicions—this was Papyrus, after all. If no one else, she could trust him.

"Okay, I will."

"Nyeheh, wonderful! Well! Goodbye!"

 _Click._

* * *

The door slid open at her approach.

Day's footsteps pattered against the hard floor, echoing throughout the lab, devoid of life.

She went as far as the bottom of the escalator, peering up but not proceeding.

"Alphys?" she called out, "Are you here?"

When there was no response, Day stepped onto the escalator; it carried her up to Alphys' room. It was empty.

Confused, Day returned to the main floor, searching for any sign of her friend.

"Alphys?" she tried again, "Papyrus told me to come here and see you… is that okay?"

There was a crunch underneath her foot. She retracted it quickly, afraid she'd broken something important.

It was a crinkled piece of notebook paper, her name clearly displayed at the top.

Day stooped down to pick it up, and immediately saw a problem. The handwriting was horrendous; it looked like someone had scribbled it in a hurry. Still, she struggled to make out the words…

 _Hey. Thanks for your help back there. You guys... your support really means a lot to me._

It had to be from Alphys.

 _But as difficult as it is to say this... You guys alone can't magically make my own problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don't wanna be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. I'm going to start doing that now._

Something about that, despite the initial appearance of optimism, gave Day a bad feeling.

 _I want to be clear: this isn't anyone else's problem but mine. But if you don't ever hear from me again... if you want to know "the truth," enter the door to the north of this note. You all at least deserve to know what I did._

Day instantly dropped the note, dashing for the door to the room she'd seen Alphys enter many times before.

"Alphys!" she cried, "Alphys wait—"

The door opened, and Day was met not with a room… but an elevator.

"… Wh… what?" She took an experimental step inside, as if confirming the strange sight. On the back panel, a button was lit up, waiting to be pressed.

Day didn't hesitate; she hit the button.

The doors slid shut, and slowly, the elevator began to descend.

It was silent except for the gentle hum of the engine. The elevator car was just like all the others she'd seen throughout Hotland: small and plainly colored.

Rather than relaxing, Day tried to pacify her nerves by pacing around the enclosed space.

 _What is Alphys going to do?_ she worried, _Why wouldn't we see her again?_

The elevator continued to descend slowly, humming and whirring lowly.

On the back wall, the button panel emitted a faint beep—and then a siren began to wail.

Day yelped and covered her ears, caught off guard.

A robotic voice blared over the speakers, " _WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER!"_

The car jolted violently to the side, then was brought to a jarring halt. Day was thrown into the unforgiving metal wall, her arm taking the brunt of the impact. Before she could regain her balance, there was a tremendous snap from outside—the elevator plummeted towards the earth without any sign of slowing.

Day screamed—there was nothing to hold onto. She was at the mercy of gravity, and it did not intend to be benevolent.

 _"EM TETHER STABILITY LOST!"_ the voice boomed, _"ALTITUDE DROPPING!"_

She scrambled for anything to keep her steady, but it was hopeless. Day had been reduced to crawling, unable to remain upright. With her mind jarred and paralyzed by panic, instinct took control—she curled up into a ball, arms wrapped tightly around her head, unable to hear her own hyperventilating over the thunderous chaos.

And just when it felt like the elevator couldn't fall any faster, it collided squarely with the ground.

* * *

The elevator doors started to slide open, but got stuck mere inches later. It was just enough for a low light to slip in and break the pitch blackness of the interior.

Day remained huddled in a corner, trembling like mad. It didn't even occur to her that she could escape until several minutes after the doors had initially opened. As soon as she spotted the gap, she scrambled to her feet—

—and with a yelp, curled up again.

Her leg was practically on fire. She cradled it in pain, trying to quell the sensation. It must have been in the way of the rest of her body at the moment of impact.

Again, she tried to stand, supporting herself with the wall. She experimentally rolled her ankle, then bent and flexed her knee. The pain was still present, but more or less bearable.

Day steadied herself, uneasily, and headed for the light.

The gap in the doors was too small for her to squeeze through, so Day tried to widen it. In the midst of straining to push the door free, she was reminded of her arm, which began to ache sorely.

She was forced to ignore it, struggling to make any progress. It took a considerable effort, but one of the doors was freed and managed to slide a few more inches. Day left the elevator gratefully… and then saw what lied outside.

It was almost completely dark. The only light came from small, thin lines of glow tape strategically placed on the edges of the floor, casting an eerie green hue over the area. She couldn't clearly discern the color of the floor and walls, but assumed they were a listless grey. Day shivered from chill and nerves.

The elevator room channeled into a hallway, and Day realized that she couldn't see more than ten or so feet ahead of herself. Everything beyond was pitch black.

For a moment, she considered returning to the elevator and waiting inside for…

… for what? For the elevator to fall another five stories? For Alphys? What if something had happened to her? If she was trapped down there too?

Day frowned, holding her arms close to her body for comfort.

 _It's just dark. That's the only reason it's scary—there's no one down here but me and Alphys. It's okay._

When the reassurance failed to propel her into motion, Day repeated it, and eventually managed to venture forth.

She kept a hand on the wall as she walked, more for stability than direction. It was cold and cracked in certain places. It felt like metal, or at the least very hard plaster. There was a low drone of ambiance through the area; the sound of her steps bounced off the walls until it was distorted beyond all recognition.

Her hand traveled over something raised from the wall—she jerked away in surprise.

It was a panel of some sort, made of the same material as the wall. At her touch, however, it whirred to life—the panel spun around, revealing a smooth black surface on the reverse side. It clicked into place, and then displayed a series of words.

Day stood back a ways to read it:

 _"Entry Number 1: This is it. Time to do what the King has asked me. I will create the power to free us all—by unleashing the power of the soul."_

… That was it.

After a few moments, the text faded, and the panel spun back around to match the wall.

Another panel was present a few feet further down, and Day tapped it lightly. It was activated, and revealed more text:

 _"Entry Number 2: The barrier is locked by soul power. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. Soul power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we are forced to use what we have now: the souls of monsters."_

The hallways seemed to be full of the same types to panels, and Day read on:

 _"Entry Number 3: Unfortunately, extracting the soul from a living monster would require incredible power. Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the soul's host. And, unlike the persistent souls of humans, the souls of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's soul last."_

 _"Entry Number 5: I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human souls. I believe this is what gives their souls the strength to persist after death: the will to keep living, the resolve to change fate. Let's call this power… "determination"."_

Entry number 4 seemed to be missing, but Day could find no other panel in the hallway.

It led to a strange intersection: a wall that seemed to lie inside the others, and a doorway leading to more darkness. At first, Day thought the wall was some sort of door, so she put a hand against it.

It beeped in protest, making her flinch back. Beside it there appeared to be a similar sort of panel as the others, only this one was already displaying its black surface, absent of words.

Day reached up and tapped it, with no response. She stood on her toes (using a free hand to support herself with the wall, as her leg protested against such a chore) and tried to tap the screen higher up.

It beeped again, flashing the words " _Handprint recognition failed."_

 _It's locked,_ she realized grimly, and her attention unwillingly shifted to the dark hallway.

… Day wasn't about to blindly walk through _that._ She approached one of the corners where floor met wall, and began to run her fingers along the glow tape. A seam passed beneath them, and Day picked at it.

She managed to tear off a strip about as long as her arm, and having done so, wrapped it around her right hand. Experimentally, she extended it into the hallway ahead of her.

Faint green light provided minimal visibility, but it was better than nothing. Holding out her hand like a flashlight, she proceeded.

Day came to another odd room. A large door stood in the center, with four colored circles as a marker. The lit panel next to the room read "Power Room." She pushed it, but it refused to budge.

 _The power must have gone out,_ she pondered. As to how the strange wall panels still retained power, she had no clue.

There was another door to the right, but it remained closed. Day took the only remaining path: to the left.

On the way, she found another panel, and read it:

 _"Entry Number 6: Asgore asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down," and their bodies came in today. They're still comatose… And soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their souls persist after they perish, then freedom might be closer than we all thought._

 _Are these Alphys' notes?_ she wondered as she walked, trying to understand the unfolding narrative, _She's… trying to use human souls to make monster souls last after death?_ Day wasn't sure how to feel about that.

The next room was smaller, though not quite as bare as all the others. In the center were three chairs, padded like the ones she'd seen long ago at the dentist's office. Day approached curiously, reaching out to test the squishiness of said padding—

—only to have her hand come back sticky.

In disgust, she wiped it across her pants, with little success. Day retreated from the chairs, and saw another panel on the wall.

 _"entry number 9: things aren't going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so i can't get the souls. i told the families that i would give the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what's happening. what do i do?"_

Day noticed that this entry seemed different from the others. None of the letters were capitalized... strange.

On the other side of the room were a row of sinks. Unnerved by whatever sticky substance she had touched, Day hurried over to wash them.

The faucet squeaked piercingly, and icy water gushed out in a steady stream. She wiped her wet hands off on her sweater (the tape threatened to go limp and abandon her), and searched for something besides a dead end.

There was another small room behind the sinks, which held only a lock on the back wall, embedded to the metal with wires branching off in every direction.

Day frowned; she needed some sort of key.

She returned to the room with sinks to search—a task made exceedingly difficult, with the power out. The two cabinets held nothing but bags of dog food and bowls, so she shuffled through the contents beneath the sinks.

When Day stood, a glint of something red caught her eye. Peering down one of the sink's drains, she saw it: a key.

It was cold to the touch, with droplets of a sticky white substance coating its entirety. Day turned one of the sink's knobs to wash it off—

But… there was no water. She tried again, fiddling with both knobs, with the same result.

 _The pipe must be broken,_ she reasoned, and moved over to the other sink.

Before she could turn on the water, there was a "plop!"

The broken faucet coughed up a puddle of milky white liquid, then began to dribble out more in a gloppy stream. It made a squirming sound as it sloshed from side to side in the sink, slowly growing in size.

Day was absolutely frozen, unable to make anything of the sight before her.

It rose from the sink, a misshapen glob, dripping bits of itself onto the floor with a wet "plunk!" Then, the glob split into branches, separating to three smaller blobs. They fell to the floor in a sickening chorus of splats.

She retreated as quickly as her leg would allow, backing directly into a chair. It made her jump, sending her heart directly into her throat. Day hurried to duck around it to run back to—

 _The door is locked!_

Even if she made it out, she'd be cornered. She had to unlock the door first—to do so, she'd have to get near those… those…

Undulating and squelching, the white substance struggled to take form. Day caught the beginnings of limbs, heads, eyes—only for them to be swallowed up into the shapeless mass and disappear. She struggled to focus, eyes darting towards the small room.

 _Do it,_ she demanded, _Just run and do it! Now!_

Her eyes darted back again, then again.

Then, she bolted.

Stumbling over herself, Day dove into the room. With a shaking hand, she slammed the key into the lock and turned it.

The lock glowed red, the light flowing up a sort of pipeline into the ceiling and disappearing.

No time to celebrate her success, Day spun around to flee the room altogether—and skidded to a halt.

Those _things._

They blocked her path.

One by one, the blobs rolled themselves nearer, specks of their bodies dripping off and sticking to the floor. They continued to shift in form, flailing arms or blinking back at her with seven eyes at a time.

Day cried out in horror, pressing herself flat into a corner.

"N—no—" she protested, fear choking her voice, "St—stay away—please—"

Her phone shrieked with static for a moment. Then once again. It repeated, flickering on and off in random intervals. She tried to retrieve it from her pocket, but her hand shook too violently for her to get a grip.

Underneath the static, a chatter of voices began. They sounded like whispers, but fierce ones. The words were almost impossible to interpret.

"…come…us…"

The blobs grew closer, and the voices from her phone louder.

"…join…us…"

"become… one… us…"

Day couldn't catch her breath, "N—n—"

"…lorem... dolor... ipsum docet…"

"Join… the fun…"

"…stay... with… us…"

One of the creatures sloshed over onto her foot.

Day yanked away, " _NO!"_

All three blobs stopped, along with the voices.

…

"… fine…"

Just like that, they oozed away.

When they were out of sight, Day didn't give them a chance to return—she fled.

* * *

 _"entry number 12: nothing is happening. i don't know what to do. i'll just keep injecting everything with "determination." i want this to work."_

 _Number twelve?_ Day wondered, _There's some missing again…?_

She wasn't certain about it, but she was _not_ about to run back to the last panel and check.

The glow tape had lost its shine, so Day instead utilized her phone screen for light. There was a hideous crack right down the center, possibly broken on impact during the elevator's fall, but it worked nonetheless.

Day arrive at the next panel, and tapped it.

 _"entry number 13: one of the bodies opened its eyes."_

She knew she'd made no mistake, but Day reread the entry anyway.

 _The determination brought them back to life? Or… no, they weren't dead, they were… What is "fallen down"?_ There was so much she didn't know, _But there's no one in the lab, so if this is where they all were, then they must have gotten better and went home._

The explanation made sense, so Day accepted it for the time being. She had other things to be concerned with.

Day entered the next room, confused by what she saw. There were three rows of beds, each in a differing state of organization.

She shuddered when she put together that _this_ must have been where the dying monsters had been kept; if nothing else, she was determined to avoid touching them at all costs.

An empty dog food bowl clattered against the floor in a failed attempt to trip her up, and Day flinched away in momentary panic. She offered only a sigh of exasperation when she realized the source of the fright.

Another panel was present on the back wall, near a doorway.

 _"Entry Number 14: Everyone that had fallen down… has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?"_

There was nothing to do but follow the path into a long, narrow hallway.

The ambiance became impossible to ignore; pipes running overhead gurgled lowly, the metal walls seemed to creak under the pressure of the earth. It was even worse than absolute silence.

Day swallowed, then hummed quietly to herself in an attempt to ease her discomfort.

She nearly missed a panel, and backtracked to read it.

 _"Entry Number 15: Seems like this research was a dead end. But at least we still got a happy ending out of it? I sent the souls and the vessel back to Asgore, and I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow._ :) _"_

Day sighed in relief, unable to withhold a smile from the release of tension.

 _That's why no one's here,_ she realized, _They got better and went home._

The next panel was cracked in the corner, as if from impact.

 _"entry number 16: no No NO NO NO NO NO!"_

Her optimistic conclusion was thoroughly dashed upon reading the entry.

Clearly, something had gone wrong. Horribly wrong.

The panel produced no further clarification, though Day wasn't sure she wanted it. She lit the way with her phone, the other arm wrapped tightly around her middle.

Light spilled over a bare doorway, so inconspicuous it was almost missed. Day poked her head around the frame to see…

… a shower curtain.

She blinked to confirm the sight, and still it remained.

Day could vaguely hear the patter of water against the curtain, and she inched inside cautiously.

"Alphys?" she called out, "Is that you?"

No one answered her.

At first, Day guessed that the shower was running without an occupant, and approached it slowly.

"Alphys?" she tried again, in case she was mistaken, "Alphys?"

For a moment, she thought she glimpsed the silhouette of a person inside, making her stop.

This was about to either terrifying or embarrassing.

"…Hello?"

A shadow flashed across the curtain once again— _something_ was inside.

"A…Alphys?" she tried meekly, "Is…"

Her outstretched hand was only a foot away, holding the phone a little less than steadily. She reached out with the other, fingertips barely brushing the slick material of the curtain.

She made one final attempt at a warning, "Alphys?"

Nothing. Holding her breath, Day pulled back the curtain with a swift yank.

Water beat down against nothing but an empty tub.

And a small green key.

Day didn't stop to wonder where the thing casting the silhouette had gone—she took the key, pocketed it, and left.

* * *

She had assumed the strange blob creatures were the most terrifying things to be found in the dark lab. She was proven wrong in the following room.

A large red machine was suspended from the ceiling, broken wires and cables dangling off like cobwebs. It was deliberately modeled in the shape of some type of animal skull, pitch blackness staring out of the caverns where eyes would have resided.

Day had no desire to take a closer look; she ducked into the first door that presented itself.

It was dark, of course, and the only thing she could clearly make out was the dim glow of a yellow lock: clearly, her next objective.

But before she could turn to leave the room behind, shapes came into focus.

There were two tall bookshelves, lined with what appeared to be VHS tapes. Some were labeled, but most were not. In the middle of the two shelves was a bulky, boxy television, which stood on a simple table. She approached and pressed the power button.

The television came to life in a hiss of white static, catching her off guard. It illuminated a stack of tapes beside itself, arranged neatly.

Day picked one off the top; it was labeled "Tape One." Upon further inspection, the other tapes were labeled in a similar fashion, numbering one through five.

 _This isn't really the best time…_ she began to protest, but curiosity took the reins before caution could snatch them up fully. Day inserted the tape and pressed play.

* * *

 _"Pssst. Gorey, wake up." It was a woman's voice._

 _"Mm? What is it dear?" The man paused, "…er, and why do you have that camera?"_

 _"Shush! I want to get your reaction!" She giggled a bit before calming, "Gorey, dearest. What is my favorite vegetable?"_

 _"Hm… carrots, right?"_

 _"No no no! My *favorite* vegetable is… eda-MOM-e!"_

 _…_

 _"Get it?"_

 _"Go back to bed, dear."_

 _"No no, not yet!" She giggled again, laughing at her own joke since he wouldn't, "Now, let's try another. If I were a dog, what breed would I be?"_

 _He sighed, in good nature, "I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?"_

 _"I would be… a MOM-eranian!"_

 _That one got a laugh._

 _"Hoho! You sure are excited to have this child! You know, if you keep making jokes like this, one day, you could be… a famous MOM-edian!"_

 _…_

 _"Well. I am going to bed."_

 _"Hey! Come on, Tori! That one was funny!"_

 _"Ha ha, I know. I'm just teasing you. Goodnight, dear."_

 _"Goodnight, honey."_

 _There were a few footsteps, and then the woman added, "Oh dear, perhaps it is too dark in here for the video to come out…"_

* * *

It was Toriel. The woman speaking was unmistakably Toriel. But as for who the person speaking to her was…

Day inserted the next tape, hoping for answers.

* * *

 _"Okay Chara… are you ready? Do your creepy face!"_

 _There was a pause, then a scream._

 _Soon, however, the scream was replaced with giggles from a young child._

 _"Hehehe! Oh—wait! I had the lens cap on! This time I'll take it off so—"_

 _Someone muttered something, too far away to hear clearly._

 _"What? You're not going to do it again? Come on, quit tricking me!"_

* * *

 _Chara._

Day hadn't forgotten that name. The one she'd heard in Waterfall. And the boy speaking—it was the same as before. Whoever was in this video, they must have been in Waterfall too—

 _That wouldn't make sense,_ she realized, _It's a little boy speaking. And these are old tapes, so he would have grown up by now. But… I know it was him…_

What was going on?

* * *

 _"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!"_

 _…_

 _"Ha! This time I got you! I left the cap on… on purpose! Now you're smiling for no reason" The boy laughed, "Ha ha!"_

 _The low muttering came again, incomprehensible._

 _"What? Oh yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter… but we accidentally put in buttercups instead."_

 _Someone replied, prompting the boy to add, "Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick… I felt so bad. And we made mom really upset, too. Heh… I should have just laughed it off like you did. Anyway, where are you going with this?"_

 _…_

 _"Huh? Turn off the camera? Okay."_

* * *

It provided no answers. Still, it began to make Day feel… uneasy.

* * *

 _The screen was black as all the rest had been. Someone was breathing audibly, as if walking for a long distance._

 _"I—I don't like this idea, Chara."_

 _…_

 _"Wh… what?" He sounded on the verge of tears, "N-no, I'm not…" There was a pause, then a sniffle, "Y-yeah, you're right. Big kids don't cry."_

 _Another mumble; a short one._

 _"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara! N-never!"_

 _The next mumble was as incoherent as the others, the only discernible word being "strong."_

 _"Y-yeah! We'll be strong! And we'll free everyone!" the boy declared, "Let's do it! I'll go get the flowers!"_

* * *

The final tape was slowly accepted into the slot.

* * *

 _"Chara…" The gentle, saddened voice was Toriel's, "Chara, my child… can you hear me? We want you to wake up, dear…"_

 _"Chara! You have to stay determined!" The man's voiced thundered, though it was laced with an unmistakable sadness, "You can't give up! *You* are the future of humans and monsters…"_

 _For a moment, silence. A door closed._

 _Then came the rustle of bedsheets, and a whisper._

 _"Pst… Chara?" The little boy sniffled, "Please… wake up… I-I don't like this plan anymore! I-I—"_

 _…_

 _"… n-no, I said—I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six… And we'll do it together, right?"_

 _…_

 _"… Promise?"_

* * *

Day stared at the white static, dumbfounded.

 _… I don't understand. Who was Chara? Who was the little boy? What happened to them?_

She could mentally question the tapes all she wanted, but it brought her no clarity. Helplessly, Day rose to her feet to leave—

Someone was behind her. Looking down at her. Blinking.

"Oh." Day was surprised, but not afraid, "Hi Mr. Gaster."

He waved in a single, brief motion.

Day couldn't help but glance back at the tapes… and hatched an idea.

"Did… you watch these too?"

Gaster nodded.

"Do you know who was in them?"

Again, he nodded. He was frowning.

She was not about to let the topic rest, "Who?"

His hands appeared, and he signed, "King-queen-two-child."

"The king, the queen, and their two children?" She clarified. "Oh… what happened to Chara?"

Gaster looked away for a moment, seeming to sigh.

"Long-story."

"… Can you please tell me anyway?"

…

Unwillingly, he signed:

"Long ago-H-U-M-A-N- fell-under-ground. C-H-A-R-A. King-son-A-S-R-I-E-L-find-take-home. Two-become-brothers. C-H-A-R-A-son-king-queen. All-monster-have-H-O-P-E."

He paused to make sure Day was following along.

Slowly, she nodded, "Okay."

"C-H-A-R-A-sick."

"He got sick?" The fifth tape now began to make sense, and with a growing sense of dread, Day dared to ask, "And… then?"

"D-I-E-D."

Day covered her mouth, hiding whatever pained sound had tried to escape. She had been afraid of that answer.

Gaster continued, "A-S-R-I-E-L-full-grief. Take-soul. Full-power. Pass-barrier. Take-C-H-A-R-A-body-above-ground-home. H-U-M-A-N-S-A-T-T-A-C-K."

"Why?" she gasped, "Why did they attack him?!"

"Thought-hurt-C-H-A-R-A."

"But he… he didn't…"

"A-S-R-I-E-L-no-hurt-H-U-M-A-N-S. Go-home. D-I-E-D."

At this point, Gaster let his hands sink for a moment. His face wasn't vibrant with emotion, but Day could tell he wasn't happy. He slumped.

"King-queen-full-grief. Both-child-gone. All-monster-no-hope. H-U-M-A-N-S-take-all-again. King-end-A-G-O-N-Y. All-H-U-M-A-N-S-fall-under-ground-D-I-E. Seven-soul-break-barrier. All-monster-free. All-H-U-M-A-N-S-D-I-E."

Day was trembling fearfully, the final pieces beginning to click. The looming inevitability of a choice was sneaking up again, determined not to be ignored.

"T-Toriel," she stammered, "She… was the queen."

Gaster nodded. Before Day could speak, he signed with deliberation, "Queen-angry. Leave-king."

"… Why?"

"No-kill-H-U-M-A-N-S. D-I-S-G-U-S-T-E-D-B-Y-king."

"… King Asgore."

Day didn't speak again. This was too much to comprehend in so short a time.

Gaster seemed to remember something, and he waved to get her attention again.

"Yes?"

"See-S-A-N-S?"

In that instant, Day felt worse than she had before.

 _Oh no…_

… She nodded, not meeting his eyes directly.

"Yes. I saw Sans. I told him what you said."

Gaster blinked, then made a motion for her to elaborate.

Day meshed her hands together, cheeks heating up, "… He… didn't believe me when I said I talked to you." She pinched her palm in an attempt to fight back tears, "He wasn't happy."

…

Gaster was no longer facing her. She couldn't see his expression.

She took a single step backwards, worried he might be angry with her too.

"…I…" Day tried to find her voice, "I'm really sorry—"

"Forget."

The sign was unmistakable even from behind. He did it swiftly, to cut her off.

"… Forget?" she asked, "Forget what?"

Gaster did not turn back to face her. He didn't need to. With a holed hand, he simply pointed to himself.

"Forget-me."

He left the room in the blink of an eye, into the darkness beyond.

"Wait!" Day ran after him into the hall, "Mr. Gaster, come ba—"

The hallway was empty, seeming darker than before. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. Gaster?" she called out, alone again, "… Alphys?"

But nobody came.

Day wrapped her arms around her middle in an attempt for comfort. A yellow key: that is what she needed to focus on, now.

A panel was obscured by the intimidating red machine, so Day edged towards it, tapping the screen.

"Determination Extraction Machine Status: Ina—"

The words flickered before Day had a chance to read them fully, so she tapped it again.

"Determ—"

The same thing happened. A little frustrated, she gave it another less gentle tap.

An ear-piercing screech burst from the panel in protest; strange symbols filled the screen in a senseless series, only seeming to speed up.

When the sound died down suddenly, it was replaced by the hammering of Day's heart in her ears.

But then, another sound came.

The red machine began to creak, as if under massive weight. The wires hanging from it shuttered and swayed every which way.

Day backed away from it, but continued to stare.

In the shadows above the machine, something moved. Something large.

Then, two yellow eyes slid open. They were joined by a row of bright, shining teeth. The monster howled.

Day turned on her heels and dashed down the hallway, slowed only by her limp.

There was a loud thud, another howl, and the sound of heavy thumps, growing louder—it was lumbering after her.

She fought the urge to freeze up in a panic—little good that would do. Day just kept running, refusing to turn back.

A strange fog filled the hall up ahead, and in a matter of seconds, it became impossible to make out anything more than a foot in front of her.

This time, Day couldn't help but stop, lost.

 _Now what?!_

The heavy stampede of footfalls continued unabated behind her; the monster was undeterred by the fog.

 _I—I can't run! I can't see where I'm going—I—I need to hide!_ she managed to throw together as way of a plan. Blindly, she stuck out her hands and stumbled forward, groping helplessly for anything that could aid her.

Day searched frantically, the sounds of the approaching monster only getting louder.

Finally, she felt something; it was cold, tall… and was shaped like a box.

Whatever it was, it would have to do. Day dragged her fingers along the surface of it, and when she found a handle, pulled it.

Light shone faintly from the inside, so Day entered the strange box, shutting herself in.

Whatever she was inside, it was _freezing._ In a matter of seconds, she was shivering violently. The box was pitch black now, and Day had little room to move freely.

Outside, the muffled sounds of the monster grew closer… closer…

For a moment, there was silence.

The box was suddenly tilted on a corner, and off balance, crashed to the floor. Day was thrown into the side, striking her head—

At first, she thought she'd blacked out again. It was utterly quiet, utterly dark.

She felt herself blink, and realized she was as awake as before. Returning to her senses, Day pushed open the door while lying on her side, finishing the job with a sharp kick.

The door fell open and Day rolled out onto the floor, dazed. The room was still thick with fog, but the monster seemed to be gone.

Day lied out across her back, relieved.

 _How big is this place?_ she wondered, beginning to feel the slow build-up of hopelessness, _Alphys has to be here somewhere…_

Something pressed up against her shoulder blade, making her shrug in discomfort. There was a metallic sound as it scraped across the floor; Day rolled onto her stomach, feeling the floor for the object.

The unmistakable shape of a key—the yellow key?!

She had to hold it directly in front of her face before she could clearly see the blue coloring.

 _Oh good, another one!_ The thought was heavy with frustration.

Day pocketed it along with the green key, trying to regain her bearings. She resumed her blind excursion, eventually finding a wall and traveling alongside it for guidance.

It curved suddenly, forming a break in the wall, and she could swear she glimpsed the faint green glow of a lock.

She wasted no time in unlocking it.

 _Okay, just a blue lock and a yellow key left. That's not too bad,_ she reassured herself, _They'll be around here somewhere._

 _… I hope._

After a few tedious minutes, Day escaped the foggy nightmare and stumbled upon the horrid red machine. She didn't risk a closer look, quickly returning to the room with the beds.

There was another doorway, and Day had a good feeling the last of her objectives lied inside. Determined to finish this, she entered.

Day used the phone's light to guide her, paying attention to nothing but the straight path ahead of her. She glimpsed a collection of faded yellow objects out of her peripheral vision, but forced herself to ignore them.

 _Find a key or a lock and leave,_ she instructed, _Let's make this fast._

Sure enough, the hall ended in another small room, sporting a blue lock. Day unlocked it, then returned to the hallway.

Only now did she allow herself to examine the yellow objects against the back wall: flowers. Golden flowers. They seemed to be pale, drooping, quite unlike the ones she'd seen throughout the rest of the underground.

 _There's no light for them,_ she reasoned, almost feeling bad for the plants. Day turned away, only to be blinded by a ray of light. She covered her eyes with both hands, but the light abruptly vanished. Confused, she snuck a peek over her raised hands—

And found a mirror.

Day edged closer, but was stopped by what she saw.

 _… Wow,_ was the first thing that came to mind, _I'm a mess._

Her hair resembled an unkempt nest, her sweater was splotched with stains, as were her pants, and one of her shoes had come untied.

Not only that, but something about her face was different. She seemed… tired, but not quite. There were nicks and scrapes here and there, displaying the wear and tear of her journey. Perhaps it was just the lighting, but her eyes appeared dull. Experimentally, Day smiled: it didn't look real. The following frown did.

But, despite everything, it was still her.

Her eyes wandered to a panel beside the mirror, then another on the opposite side. Mostly by force of habit, she read them.

 _"Entry Number 7: We'll need a vessel to wield the monster souls when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters, just as a human cannot absorb another human's soul… So then… what about something that's neither human nor monster?"_

 _"entry number 10: experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they're a hassle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you and won't let go."_

Day cocked her head to the side, _A vessel that's neither human or monster? And if it has seeds, it would be a…_

Her gaze shifted behind her in a slow realization.

 _... A plant. A flower._

Something began to add up, a connection… but Day just shook her head.

 _No, the entry said that it didn't work, so it can't be._

While she was pondering, Day thought she saw something moving in the mirror. She turned the light of her phone back onto it, careful not to blind herself a second time.

It was just her, surrounded by darkness.

 _No, I saw something,_ she insisted, not buying it. Naturally, she looked closer at the shadows.

The flowers rustled behind her; instinctively, she turned back to find out why.

A few petals had scattered across the floor, jostled by an unseen force. Without an answer, she faced the mirror once again.

A bird-monster with long, gangly limbs stood over her, double her size even when hunched. It stared at her with an enormous, unblinking eye.

Then, her phone died.

Day screeched, running in the direction she prayed the exit was.

Behind her, there was a shrill scream, followed by the sound of breaking glass. She was being chased—again.

This time, luck threw her a bone; Day entered the large room with beds, searching frantically for a place to hide.

 _"Caaaaaaaw!"_

The shriek echoed throughout the lab, only adding to her panic. She gave into the first instinct that came to mind—Day dropped to her knees and crawled beneath the closest bed, curling into a ball and covering her head.

 _Clack clack clack… clack clack…_

It was the sound of the monster's talons against the floor. It paused, sensing no one. She slammed her eyes shut.

 _… Clack clack… clack… Sque—EAK!_

A mattress squeaked under its weight as it scanned the room from this new vantage point.

 _Reee… sque—EAK! Sque—EAK!_

It jumped from bed to bed, making equally piercing sounds of vexation.

 _Ree… SQE—EEEAK!_

Day clutched her hair in a vice grip, doing all she could to repress a gasp.

 _It's on my bed, it's on my bed—b-but it can't see me if it's right over me—so it's okay—it's okay it's okay it's okay—_

 _Clink!_

The sound came from in front of her. Day opened her eyes.

The yellow key. It was _right there!_

Day was paralyzed, unable to do more than stare at the tantalizing key.

 _I can't move—it'll see me—but it's the last key—I need it—_

Her two options were at war with each other, rendering her immobile.

Above her, the bed had since ceased squeaking. Was the monster gone? Or just waiting?

… Day couldn't wait any longer. She snatched up the key—

…

Nothing happened.

She waited. And waited.

…

Nothing.

An immense weight was lifted from her shoulders. Relieved, Day exhaled a long breath.

Something seized her by the ankles and yanked.

 _"AAAAAH!"_

"Hey! Stop!"

The monster snapped its head up, a foot planted squarely on Day's back.

"I gave you guys some food, okay?!"

It was like a switch had been flipped; the monster chirped, and with a flutter of wings, it flew down the hall and out of sight.

Day was shaking so severely that she couldn't rise to identify her rescuer. They rushed over instead, taking her by the shoulders and easing her up.

"Day?! How long have you been down here?" Alphys asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"… Alphys…?"

"I'm sorry about these guys—they're not dangerous, I promise! They can just get a little sassy when they're not fed on time—"

Her words were cut off as Day caught her in a hug, already beginning to bawl.

 _"ALPHYS!"_

"—oh!" She returned the hug, "What's wrong, Day? Are you hurt?"

"I—I thought—something happened to you—" Day had her face buried in Alphys' lab coat, tears streaming down her face, "I thought—you got hurt—I couldn't find you—A-and I—this place—there were things chasing me—"

She stopped briefly, trying to catch her breath.

Alphys patted her back, "H-hey, it's okay—"

Day's grip tightened, "Th-the elevator fell—I hurt my leg—a-again—"

"I'm so sorry," Alphys replied gently, picking her up and sitting her down on one of the beds, "You poor thing… it's alright, you're okay now—"

It was too late to calm down; all the stress she'd been withholding was cascading forth without a filter.

"I—I can't do it—I'm— _I'm sc-scared—I can't—I don't wanna meet the king! He'll—I want everyone to be free b-but I don't wanna—and I w-wanna go home but I c-can't—I don't want to h-hurt anybody—"_ Words were beginning to die out in favor of incoherent crying, " _I d-don't know—what to do—and I—no matter what happens I'll—it'll be something bad—"_

Alphys knew there was no point in interrupting; she just rocked the crying child back and forth, letting her vent.

"I know…"

Her speech was nearly taken over trembling, and she finally choked out, _"A-and—S-Sans hates me now—but I—d-didn't do anything wrong…"_

Alphys blinked, "What? Why would…" She offered a sympathetic smile, "Day, don't worry. He doesn't hate you!"

She only nodded insistently, face hidden from view.

"Oh, come on…" Alphys rubbed her back comfortingly, "He can get pretty moody—believe me, I know—but he won't hold a grudge forever. Don't worry about that."

Day was not reassured, continuing to sniffle and whimper.

They remained there for quite some time, undisturbed in the dark lab.

When Day had quieted down, Alphys began again, "I'm sorry, Day. I know this isn't fun… heh, and I'm sure having to come down here didn't help out either… See, the power went out right after I came down here, and I've been trying to get it working again. I used to have a bunch of keys for the locks, but of course, I ended up losing them… it's a good thing I have a master, or—"

Silently, Day held up the yellow key still in her grasp.

Alphys blinked, "Oh! You have one! Looks like you were one step ahead of me!" She took it gratefully, "Let's see, the yellow lock should be—oh, it's not too far from here. I should probably take care of that… er, do you want to… I mean, you could just stay here for a second, since you said your leg hurts again."

Day shook her head, clinging to Alphys' arm.

"Alrighty! That works too!" She helped Day off the bed, "Here, just stay with me—there's nothing to be afraid of down here!"

"But…" She peered over her shoulder constantly as they walked, "Those…"

"The amalgamates?"

"… What?"

"Those monsters you probably saw—they're called amalgamates," Alphys explained, not looking at her directly, "They're… um… they used to be a bunch of monsters that "fell down," but…"

They passed a panel on the wall, and Day pointed at it.

"Did you write those?"

"Oh—oh, you read—" Alphys smiled nervously, "… I should have… figured. S-so you probably… know the story, then."

They reached the room with the yellow lock, and Alphys inserted the key, turning it.

"Well, that's one down, anyway."

"I… got the other ones," Day admitted.

"You did?" She seemed impressed, "Oh! W-well, good! We can—we can get into the power room, now! That'll—that'll fix our problem."

Day remained attached to her throughout the lab, and hesitantly, built up the nerve to ask, "Alphys? Can you… tell me about the… the monsters?"

"The amalgamates?"

"Mm-hm."

Alphys frowned, eyes darting to the side, "…I… I-I guess… I sorta have to now, don't I?"

"You don't have to if you don't want," Day reassured, ignoring her own curiosity.

But Alphys shook her head, "No. No, I—I said I was going to tell the truth from now on. That's what I have to do."

Alphys drew in a breath, "I… I'm sure you know, from all the entries everywhere, but… when I was appointed Royal Scientist, the first task Asgore gave me was to study the nature of souls. B-because if I could create it artificially, then maybe we—we wouldn't need another human's soul to break the barrier. If we could make it, he—he wouldn't have to…" She glanced nervously at Day, "… B-but anyway. I was able to isolate a power in human souls called "determination." It looks like this bright red, sticky stuff. A-and the idea was that if I injected it into the souls of dying monsters, their souls would last after death instead of turning to dust!"

Slowly, her passionate tone died out, and she sighed heavily.

"But… I was wrong. A-and the experiments failed. Really badly."

When they arrived at the power room, Day ducked behind Alphys in terror. An amalgamate was waiting for them at the door, bits of itself dripping onto the floor.

Alphys was unfazed, "H-hi Mrs. Winters! I haven't seen you in a little while… how are you?"

The amalgamate made a low sound, struggling to speak, "H…how… I… g…good…"

"That's good." Alphys put a hand on Day's shoulder, "It's okay! Mrs. Winters is really nice… she's not going to hurt you, Day."

Day snuck a peek over, withholding a cringe from the monster's melting, deformed appearance.

Hesitantly, she waved, "…Hi."

The monster seemed to be struggling to smile, one of her limbs making a poor attempt at a wave, "H…h…hi…"

Alphys opened the doors to the power room, and Day followed at her heels.

"How did…" Day began to ask.

"S-see, unlike human's bodies, monsters don't have enough… er, physical matter to take those concentrations of determination. Their bodies can't hold up, and they start to meld and lose physicality—I-I mean, like, a definite shape. S-so all the test subjects melted and stuck together into… the amalgamates."

Alphys busied herself with the main power core, searching for whatever had caused a hiccup the system.

Mrs. Winters had trailed after them, slowly oozing up to Day.

More than anything, Day longed to hide behind Alphys again, but she didn't want to be rude. Putting her shaking hands behind her back, she remained in place.

"Sn…o…wy…"

"I'm… I'm sorry?"

"She—she likes jokes about snow," Alphys told her, "J-just if you know any."

Day swallowed, put on the spot.

 _I don't—I can't make jokes,_ she internally protested.

The amalgamate seemed to melt a bit, her whole body rising and falling with audible breaths.

"Jo…ke…?"

"Um…" Day struggled to remember any of Sans', unable to come up with one of her own, "… I… I-I guess I should come up with a good… um… _ice_ breaker?"

"Ha…"

It had worked! Day felt herself smile, just a bit.

"S-see? I… um…" Her mind raced for more, and hazily, pulled them up, "I-I won't give you a _cold_ shoulder…"

The amalgamate seemed to be enjoying her attempts, her mouth resembling a smile, "Ha… ha ha…"

Day couldn't without a small giggle, "W-well, at least—at least there's uh, there is _snow_ way they can get worse than this."

Mrs. Winters laughed in a stilted manner, "Ha… Ha… thank… you…" Still laughing, she turned and slowly began to slink away, a white trail following her as she went.

There was a click, followed by a series of whirs—the power returned, machinery lighting up with a red glow.

"That should do it." Alphys closed the lid of the segment she'd been tinkering with, "That oughtta be a lot better." She smiled at Day, "I appreciate you coming here to back me up, by the way. L-like I said in my note… uh… I-I was a little bit afraid that I might… not make it back."

"…Why?"

"It's not—not because of these guys or anything," she clarified, "I was just worried that I might be… too afraid to come back. To tell you the truth, I… heh, I-I thought that I might… m-might run away or…" Behind her back, Alphys' arm intentionally brushed one of her coat pockets, "… D-do something… cowardly."

Alphys' eyes trailed after Mrs. Winters, "Seeing them like this, I… I couldn't tell their families about it. Not them, n-not anyone. No matter how much everyone was asking me. J-just think about how much it would hurt them… a-and how mad they would be…"

She stared at the floor, then sat dejectedly.

"After that, I didn't do any more work, either. B-because… I-I saw how that went, last time. I was afraid I'd j-just fail all over again. And that... I couldn't do anything right."

Alphys' face changed, then. It shifted from hopelessness to something stronger.

"… But now… I've changed my mind about all this. I'm… I'm going to tell everyone what I've done." She let out a nervous laugh, "It's—it's gonna be hard. Being honest and believing in myself. And I—I know it's not just gonna be perfect. There's probably gonna be times when I'll struggle and screw up again, but… knowing deep down that I-I actually have friends to fall back on… It'll make it a lot easier to stand on my own."

Day didn't miss a beat; she approached and hugged Alphys around the neck.

Alphys smiled, touched, "Thank you."

She stood, removing her glasses and wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to go ahead and round everyone up," she said, "It's time they go home, like I promised. You can go on ahead though—there's another elevator over that way. It'll take you right to the castle… If you still want to go there."

Day's gaze dropped, and she said nothing.

Alphys wanted to say something, but was at a loss.

"… Look, Day," she tried, "I know… this is all really… really hard to think about. And there's nothing wrong with being scared—I-I think I would be too, if I was in your shoes." Alphys nibbled on a claw, searching for more, "… If you don't want to go—if you're not ready, there's no hurry. S-something that, uh… Asgore actually told me one time is that… anything you need to do is important, even little things. L-like taking a walk or a nap or just talking to someone… S-so if you want to do something like that first, it's not bad at all."

She just nodded, "Okay."

"…Well, you just do what you think is best," Alphys told her, heading towards the door, "I'll… I'll see you, Day!"

Day managed a smile, then a wave, "Bye Alphys."

Alphys left… and then poked her head around the doorway.

"H-hey!" she added, "Just remember; l-love yourself! I-I love you!"

Day's smile was completely genuine this time, "Love you too."

* * *

The path to the new elevator was blissfully short. Her limp was only getting worse with use, and Day made no attempt to hide it. She was tired.

 _Maybe… I'll just come back to the castle tomorrow,_ she bargained, _I can wait one more day. It's not going to go anywhere… Maybe Alphys would be okay if I stayed with her until then?_

Little by little, she began to feel better.

There were two more panels on the wall. Day wasn't sure what else there was to learn; Alphys had told her everything already. Still.

 _"_ _:) Entry Number 8: I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it… In the center of his garden, there's something special: the first golden flower that grew before all the other ones. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder what happens when something without a soul gains the will to live?"_

The text wasn't green like all the others—it was deep red. And the smiley face at the beginning… seemed off.

 _"_ _:) entry number 18: the flower's gone."_

… Day had a bad feeling she understood exactly where the flower had run off to.

 _Not now,_ she shut the thought down, and instead made her way to the elevator. It was time to leave.

The doors slid open at her approach, and Day stepped inside, glad for the light.

Her phone rang.

Day had instinctively taken it out before she caught the problem—her phone was dead.

Nevertheless, it continued to ring right there in her hand, alive and well.

An odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, Day answered.

"… Hello?"

"… Chara… Are you there?"

Day nearly dropped the phone, jarred.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? But you've done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place _perfectly…"_

She had never heard this voice before. Day was speechless.

"So, Chara…" There was a slight chuckle, "See you soon."

The line went dead.

Without warning, the elevator doors slid shut as it began to ascend. She hadn't even pressed a button yet—none lit up, when she tried.

Day looked around, confused and helpless.

 _... Now what?_

* * *

 ** _Three chapters to go. And they're gonna be long ones._**

 ** _Heh. Maybe I'll finish by the end of the year. That would be nice, wouldn't it?_**

 ** _Thanks for reading._**


	27. It's a Beautiful Day Outside

Day tore off another vine, but knew it was no use. The elevator doors were roped shut with them. Most vines were thicker than her arm and showed no sign of budging.

It had come out of nowhere; as soon as the elevator stopped in the castle, she was forced out by the vines as they filled the entirety of the elevator car.

Day glanced at the walkway, knowing exactly where it led.

To the king.

She began to shake uncontrollably, clutching her arm in absolute terror. Instead of proceeding forward, she headed in the opposite direction, back towards the city.

 _Running away again?_ a voice seemed to chastise, ignored for the time being, _You'll have to go there eventually— you can't avoid it forever._

"I can try," she muttered aloud, continuing to limp away.

 _I'll just come back tomorrow,_ she bargained, _I can't go back just yet. I haven't said goodbye to anyone— but that will take a while to explain to them—_

 _See? You're putting it off. If you leave now, you'll keep finding reasons not to come back! And then monsters will be trapped here forever... Something *you* could have fixed!_

 _But they need a soul to break the barrier- my soul. To get it, I have to... To die! If... Maybe if I waited for a while, another person could—_

Day stopped the thought short, a little horrified with herself.

 _What, so that *they* could die instead? That's awful!_

By now, she'd stopped walking, at an impasse. She looked to both the route towards the castle and away from it, searching for an answer.

 _King Asgore will set us free..._

 _King Asgore will save us, any day now..._

 _We have to keep hoping, until then..._

Day tried unsuccessfully to force down the thoughts, but they hit their marks nonetheless.

 _You'd be more valuable to everyone if you were dead!_

Day cringed at the comment... But... It was true, wasn't it? All it would take was one last soul—her soul—and they'd be free after who knows how long trapped underground. All of them, her friends and strangers, finally free.

 _But then the king will destroy humanity, so monsters can live on the surface... But maybe he won't...?_

Ultimately, she didn't know- there was so much she couldn't know.

Unless she asked.

Day was facing the castle now. Something stirred in her chest... It was the beginnings of something... although she wasn't quite sure what it was.

...

The limp wasn't the only thing impeding her speed as she crept forward, still squeezing her arm for dear life.

She didn't quite know what she was planning to do. But one thing was certain in her mind somehow; one day or another, she would face the king. There was no point in fighting the inevitable. And if she left now… she would never be able to make herself return. She would be forced to meet King Asgore on his terms, whatever they were.

The gold and orange hall stood stoically as before, the weight of empty space between ceiling and floor bearing down on her. In the distance, she thought she caught the final call of a church bell… but it could just as well have been her imagination.

After the grand hall ended, the somber grey coloring returned, unwelcomed. Day was led to a tall wall of grey stone, adorned with ivy that failed to rise more than a few feet.

Her eyes drifted to the plaque beside the single doorway in the wall. It read: "Throne Room."

Day stared at the towering entryway, just able to make out the stairs inside.

…

She couldn't move forward. She did, however, succeed in retreating several feet back, into the opposite wall. Day hugged her middle, feeling tears beginning to sting at her eyes.

 _I can't…_

Another doorway caught her eye. It was plain like the other, but the stark white stairs led downward rather than up. There was no sign beside it.

Day was desperate for any sort of diversion, so she slipped inside, descending in a stilted limp.

The stairs continued… on and on…

… And deposited her in a small, dimly lit room that she wished she'd never seen.

It held seven stone coffins.

 _… The others who fell down here._

Day wanted to flee once again, but she was held in place by something stronger than fear. It would be rude of her to leave without paying her respects.

She noticed upon approaching that each of the coffins displayed not only a plaque, but a colored heart; she couldn't find any sort of correlation between the two, though.

The first coffin, adorned with a red heart, displayed an all too familiar name: Chara.

It was surreal, knowing the person who lied before her without ever having met him. The first human to fall underground, Asriel's brother and adopted son of the king and queen… There was a small "11" beneath his name… _His age?_

Day stared down at it, then without truly knowing why, set her hand on the lid of the cold stone coffin.

"… I'm sorry," she mumbled quietly before moving on.

The next coffin showed an orange heart, and the following: "Amos, 13."

Next was a yellow heart: "Justeen, 9."

A green heart: "Elias, 12."

A light blue heart: "Faith, 6" (seeing her age nearly made Day stumble).

A dark blue heart: "Eleanor, 15."

And finally, a purple heart: "Carver, 11."

Day stood in front of the coffins, gaze drifting up and down the line.

 _Seven children. Six souls._

 _… And then there's me._

She stared down at her scuffed-up shoes, unable to look at the remains of the children before her.

 _I just want to leave,_ she lamented helplessly, _I don't want to hurt anyone, I just want to go home…_

 _… So did they._

Day's arms tightened around her middle, _They all had homes to go back to, and families, and normal lives and… and they can't…_

In spite of herself, she wondered if any of them had done the same thing she was doing now. Having to make a choice such as this.

Amidst the pondering, familiar ones emerged: thoughts of Papyrus and his puzzles, his warm hugs. Undyne and her boisterous enthusiasm, and her fiery passion… and kitchen. Alphys and their time together watching anime in the lab, all they'd been through in their friendship. Sans… but only the good moments: the puns, mostly. And the help he gave.

… And Toriel.

…

Day wished she had never left Toriel in the first place. But she was also glad she did, because of everyone it allowed her to meet. Her friends…

…

 _I want…_ she began, the resolve slowly forming to build up and solidify her statement, _I want…_

 _…_

 _… I want them to be happy._

It was with this that Day was finally able to make her way back up the stairs, and to the entrance to the throne room.

She hesitated, just for a moment, looking to the path towards the city.

 _Don't stop,_ she told herself, not quite as harshly as her subconscious had been as of late, _Or you'll never start up again. Just go._

Day started up the stairs to the throne room.

* * *

Faint, warm light greeted her as she neared the top. With it came the overwhelming aroma of… flowers?

At the last step, she was stopped by what she saw.

The room opened up far more than the colorful corridor from before; the ceiling was high and arching, with pillars supporting the aged walls every few feet. Dark ivy hung limply from lips of the architecture, contrasting with the pale stone of the structure. Light streamed in from stained glass windows above—actual, real sunlight.

But the most captivating part of the throne room was the garden.

It began the moment she set foot inside, so Day remained on the stairs, unwilling to trample anything underfoot. Tiny purple flowers on thin green stems clumped at the border of the garden, sticking to the shadows where the light failed to reach. But just a bit further in…

Gorgeous, golden flowers. Probably the most beautiful she'd seen throughout all the underground.

Day couldn't seem to find a pathway, so she glanced up to search the far corners of the garden.

She couldn't spot the other end. Because standing in the center of the throne room, back turned to her, was the king himself.

He was practically a giant—maybe triple her height. A simple, purple cape masked his form, revealing only a golden mane, long horns, and the back of a crown.

Her panicked mind filled in the blanks left by all she couldn't see—this was it. This is the monster she _knew_ she would see. The urge to flee suddenly became much stronger, threatening to break through her determination to stay.

Day heard something low, and flinched, _A growl?_

As she listened, she realized her mistake.

 _No, it's… humming._

Keeping her steps as controlled as possible, she crept forward through the garden. The flowers rose to her knees, brushing past gently as she forged her own pathway.

As she drew closer, her earlier assessment was confirmed; the king was humming to himself, apparently consumed with a task unseen to her.

When there was still several feet between them, the king abruptly stopped humming. Simultaneously, Day felt her heart skip a beat.

"Oh? Is someone there?"

His voice, despite the small note of surprise, was low and booming on its own; it managed to fill the entire room.

It was the fear of being reprimanded by such a voice that made Day able to instinctively stammer, "Y-yes sir."

Somehow, he heard her pitiful squeak and replied, "I'll be with you in just a moment! I've almost finished watering these flowers."

The following lapse in conversation made Day's insides twist painfully. She wrung her hands to try to be rid of the sensation, but when it offered no relief, she was surprised to hear herself blurt, "Y-your garden is v-very… b-beautiful."

There was another low sound, and again Day cringed in the expectation of a growl.

"Why thank you!" It sounded cheerful. The low sound was a chuckle. "I'm afraid there isn't much variety to be found underground in regards to flowers, but I think these are bright enough! Wouldn't you say?"

Day's confusion provided a break from fear, and it was all that kept her talking, "Yes sir, mister King Asgore sir." She paused, and ventured a shaky, "Th-there are also… th-the echo flowers in W-Waterfall too, sir."

"Ah yes, there are!" he replied easily, "Though they seem to prefer a much damper home than I can offer here." The king chuckled again, "I suppose they would be good for conversation, wouldn't they?"

If she wasn't quite so terrified, she might have smiled, "Yes sir."

The king seemed to finish what he was doing, "Here we are. Now…" He turned to face her, "Howdy! How can I—"

When Asgore saw her, he dropped the watering can he'd been holding.

They faced each other in full.

He was a goat-like monster, same as Toriel: with a scruffy golden beard, and floppy ears hidden by the golden mane. The purple cape draped over his back, adorned by pointed shoulder ornaments. He wore armor. He was utterly massive, and Day knew, capable of wiping her off the face of the earth with a single motion.

It wasn't until she was able to peer up at his face that Day noticed something strange. Instead of appearing angry or deathly solemn as she'd expected, somehow… his expression seemed to match hers:

Fearful.

His eyes flashed for a moment, almost in recognition, before they evaded her entirely.

"… Oh."

Asgore didn't speak for a moment, so Day stared at her hands, feeling the abrupt change in mood.

"… Ha… I so badly want to say, "Would you like a cup of tea?"." The brief laugh was forced, "… But… you know how it is."

Day nodded, still looking down. She realized this was disrespectful, so she quickly though unwillingly added, "Yes sir."

She heard him walk a few paces, then stop. When no one spoke, she risked a glance upwards.

Asgore stood a few paces in front of his throne, staring up at the ceiling and its windows of bright sunlight.

…

He peered back at her over a shoulder, then turned in full.

"Nice day today, huh?" he said, trying to sound cheerful. It was horribly forced.

Day nodded, making the same attempt as he was, "Yes sir."

Asgore looked back to the windows, "Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… perfect weather for a game of catch."

…

When he turned to face her again, his face was finally solemn.

"… You know what we must do."

Day's chest tightened, "…Yes sir."

Asgore nodded, "When you are ready… come into the next room."

He passed the throne and entered a dark doorway in the back wall.

Day remained where she was, immobile. This… was not the king she had expected to meet.

Her eyes began to drift back towards the stairs, so Day forced them forward, and powered through the remainder of the garden.

Before she followed Asgore in full, Day noticed something under a white sheet in the corner. The shape suggested it was a throne similar to Asgore's.

Day frowned, knowing who it once belonged to. The frown remained as she entered the dark room beyond.

* * *

Day silently followed Asgore as he walked, trailing many feet behind. Her limp was horribly noticeable, so she did her best to hide it. She wasn't sure why; it wouldn't make much a difference in a matter of minutes.

The thought made her shake—she couldn't run, now. He wouldn't let her get away so easily.

Asgore had paused a ways ahead, allowing her to unwillingly catch up.

"How tense," he commented quietly, hesitating before facing her, "Just think of it like… a visit to the dentist."

Day nodded, not looking up at him. She added quietly, "Yes sir."

The hallway was dark and lined with more grey stone. It channeled into a single doorway, at which Asgore again stopped.

For a long while, he didn't speak. Day remained where she was, growing more nervous by the minute.

…

When the king spoke next, his voice had softened greatly, and he didn't turn to face her as he usually did.

"If… if by chance you have any unfinished business to attend to… please do what you must," he told her. There was a pause before he elaborated, "Even something as small as reading a book, taking a walk… having a conversation… it is important enough."

Day's knees almost gave out from beneath her, unable to believe what she'd heard.

"Y—" Her voice failed initially, so she tried again, "You're… letting me… go?"

Asgore still did not turn, "For now."

The words weren't menacing; instead, they sounded tired.

Day remained rooted to the spot, still not comprehending.

"I… don't think I understand, sir," she forced herself to admit, "I can…"

"You have the freedom to do as you wish," he clarified, "Since there is a chance you may not get the opportunity to do so, again."

Day swallowed heavily, but the dread was replaced with a growing sense of surprise: he was letting her go.

 _Why are you still here then?! Run! Go!_

Prompted by the command, Day had taken a few steps in the opposite direction before something clicked.

She stopped, then turned back to Asgore.

"… Wait." Day couldn't keep the confusion out of her voice, "But… when am I supposed to come back, sir?"

Asgore didn't respond immediately, not expecting the question.

"You may return whenever you are ready to do so."

He still didn't face her, making it difficult for Day to gauge exactly what emotion it was that held his tone in check.

The next question bubbled up inside her and passed the filter before she could withhold it, "What if I'm never ready?"

It hinted of sass, so Day bit her tongue and braced herself in preparation of reprimand.

Instead, Asgore let out a low breath.

"Then that too is your decision to make."

Instead of urging her to escape, it held her in place. Day stared at the king, dumbfounded.

 _… I don't get it… Why is he letting me leave? Doesn't he need my soul to free everyone? Doesn't he want to take it?_

Slowly, Day realized she could answer the last question.

 _He… doesn't._

This wasn't the king she'd expected to meet. This was someone much different. He wasn't eager to take her soul at all; he was dragging it out, giving her a chance to change her mind. He didn't want to face her, to hurt her.

 _But… he kind of has to,_ she reasoned, _Everyone's waiting for him to get the last soul so that they can be free…_

Her mind lingered on this for a minute longer. She stared at Asgore, finally beginning to understand. Gradually, any doubts impeding her actions dissolved, leaving only the choice she'd been struggling to make.

Day knew what had to be done. And she was no longer afraid to do it.

She approached Asgore, keeping her eyes down respectfully.

"I will follow you now, sir," she said.

Asgore initially began to face her, but stopped himself.

"Are you sure?" he asked, yet again offering her a chance to back away.

Day held her arms at her sides, not needing to clutch them for comfort, "Yes sir."

He nodded solemnly, "Very well."

Asgore began to enter the next room, but again, he hesitated.

"… Before we continue, if I may ask…" He forced his gaze to her, taking a great effort to keep it there, "… What is your name, young one?"

"My name is Day Albright, sir."

He couldn't help but chuckle, just once, "A very optimistic name."

"So I've been told, sir."

"And Day…" The next question would sting, she could already tell, "… How old are you?"

She knew why it was being asked, but didn't admit to it; there was no need to make this any worse.

"Nine, sir."

Asgore nodded, "I see. Thank you." He finally turned away, "If you would please follow me."

Day obeyed without protest.

They entered the room beyond the grey hallway, and almost immediately, Day felt disoriented.

It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. At first, it seemed like she was facing a black wall. But a sudden ripple of light shot forth from an unknown origin, illuminating what seemed to be an angular tunnel, forever shrinking into an unseen focal point.

She shook her head a few times, trying to comprehend what she saw. Asgore had stopped walking, so she followed in suit.

"This is the barrier," he answered her unspoken question, "This is what keeps us all trapped here, underground."

For a moment, neither of them moved. They stood in silence, surrounded by the unsettling ambiance of the barrier.

Then, slowly, Asgore turned to face her. He didn't avoid her gaze—he met it, determined, with something trying to pass itself off as a collected smile.

"… This… is it, then."

Day stood before him, with no intention to flee.

"Yes sir."

He took in a breath, "I… hope you can believe me when I say… it truly was nice to meet you, Day Albright."

She believed him.

"It was nice to meet you too, sir."

Asgore's cape was drawn around the front of his body, so Day could only see the indication of his hand, moving towards something at his belt. The gap of the cape betrayed a flash of pointed metal.

"Goodb—"

"Wait."

He halted at her quiet voice, as abruptly as if she'd commanded it.

Day's voice remained level, so the apprehension crept into her hands instead. They twitched, so she clasped them behind her back.

"Would… it be okay if I said something first, please?" she requested.

Asgore didn't move for a moment. Slowly, the gap of his cape fluctuated: the flash of metal was gone.

He began to approach, and Day's fear threatened to return full force.

Then, he did something entirely unexpected.

The king knelt down before her, not near at eye level, but closer to it than before.

"Yes you may," he told her, "I will listen."

Day stared at him for a moment before unclasping her hands, letting them fall easily to her sides.

"Thank you," she said, ensuring it was sincere. Day took a moment to reign in her thoughts, a feat in itself, then drew in a breath.

 _Here goes._

"I just wanted to say that…" She kept her eyes down, concentrating on her words, "I… I think I understand. I understand… you."

It was met with silence.

"Th-that's not to say—I didn't mean it in a bad way," she clarified quickly, "Like when you're sad and people say they know how you feel and it makes you feel worse because you know they really don't, they're just trying to help. I just mean… I think I get it."

"When I walked through the city earlier, I saw… I heard what everyone was saying. About how they just need you to take one more soul so that everyone can be free. They're all tired and sad and hopeless… and they're all depending on you to free them. By… doing something awful. Again."

There was no reply, but Day continued nonetheless.

"And I learned about how you all were stuck down here in the first place… how humans did it. And how unfair it was. So I… I understand why, if you were to be free… you would want to attack them." She shifted in her spot, "I would too."

"… I think… we both want the same thing for everyone," she said, very quietly, "For them to be free and have the chance to be happy. Even though it's hard."

Day paused, mulling over the rest.

"So… because of that, I wanna say… I…"

Slowly, she peered up into Asgore's face.

"… I'm not going to fight you. You can take my soul."

…

Asgore looked like he'd had the wind knocked out of him.

He tried to respond, failed at first, then made a second attempt.

"You… you are… certain about this?" It was flimsy, off guard.

She nodded, "Yes sir. It's… it's just one more soul. And m-maybe it's better that it's me instead of someone else who has…" Day realized how dark the thought was, but had said too much to quit now, "Who has… someone to go back to, on the surface."

The words produced an unmistakable flinch from the king. That wasn't her intention.

"But—but that's not the real reason," she hurriedly assured, "The real reason… it's because… I've met a lot of people here. I've made a lot of friends. All of them are nicer than a lot of people I've met on the surface—and they helped me to get here, because they thought I would be able to go home. I… I want them to be happy. And if I can give my soul for that to happen… then that's what I want to do."

A thought came to her, slow and ebbing, "Maybe… well, maybe since not all monsters are bad… that could mean that… not all humans are bad, either." She didn't dare to make eye contact now, feeling demanding as it was, "They did really bad things in the past, but… maybe… they should get a second chance." With a little more conviction, she added, "Everyone deserves one, after all."

Finally, her rush of resolve faded away. She was left tired, succumbing to the realization of what would happen next. Day shook a bit, but more than anything, she was relaxed.

"… So. That's all I had to say," she whispered, "Thank you for listening, King Asgore, sir." Day put her arms at her sides, lowered her head, and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm… I'm going to not look, now. So that I don't change my mind."

At first, nothing happened.

Then came the faint sound of metal on metal—something was unsheathed. A weapon.

Day took a deep breath, then released it.

 _It's okay,_ she told herself, _It's okay. It'll be over quick. Everyone will be free. It's okay._

She heard quiet, unsteady breathing.

 _It's okay. Just don't look. It's okay._

Then, again, nothing happened. Day waited.

…

 _… Why isn't he…?_

…

 _He didn't leave; I would have heard him._

 _…_

 _I wish he would just— but I can't look, because then I'll run. I…_

 _…_

 _… Is something wrong with him?_

 _…_

 _Should I ask?_

 _…_

 _Is he okay?_

 _…_

 _I have to ask._

A series of sounds erupted, almost simultaneously: a metallic clatter, a faint "pop" as if a fire had been snuffed out, a yelp of surprise—and a thud.

Day's eyes opened in surprise, only for the shock to be intensified by what she saw.

On the floor before her was an enormous trident—without a bearer.

She didn't need to search long before she spotted Asgore, who seemed to be recovering from being flung several feet to her left.

Without thinking, she stared towards him, "Mr. Asgore? Are you oka—"

 _"Day, my child!"_

She stopped walking.

 _… No. It's… it can't be._

Day resisted the urge to turn around and check—she couldn't do it again. She couldn't handle this disappointment of the surely empty space.

… _It's… not…_

…

The feeling was too strong, giving Day time only to brace herself before she turned.

For a moment, she was back in the Ruins. She was alone, afraid, and surrounded by dark nothingness.

In front of her, both then and now, was Toriel.

 _"Day!"_

In that moment, the question could be asked: what limp?

 _"Miss Toriel!"_ Day cried, a flurry of emotions running into her voice. Everything around her was unimportant, and she ran forward with a singular purpose.

Toriel closed the distance between them, falling to her knees and drawing Day into a tight, desperate embrace.

In tears, Day buried her face into the monster's dress and bawled, "I thought—I'd never see you again!"

She smiled down at Day, sadly, "I will admit, for a short while… I thought much the same thing, my child. But I could not stop worrying about you, no matter what I did—" It took no time at all for her to notice the cuts and scrapes and overall unkempt nature of the child in her arms, "Your adventure must have been so treacherous!"

Day could only beam through the tears, "It wasn't that bad."

"Nonetheless, as I'm sure you've realized, in order to leave… you would have had to make a terrible choice." Toriel frowned solemnly, "You would have had to take the life of another person… of Asgore. But, I cannot allow that—it is wrong to sacrifice the life of another just to leave this place." A smile crept onto her face, "Though I see I did not need to tell you that, at all."

Day just shrugged modestly.

"For now, you will not need to fight," Toriel comforted, "Because as terrible as Asgore is, he too deserves mercy."

Day paused, "Oh, he's not terrible."

Toriel stared at her blankly, "Day, dear. He was about to kill you."

"… He had a good reason. And I said I would let him."

"Good reason? _Let_ him?"

Before she could think to backpedal from the statement, Toriel's eyes were averted to someone else. In a flash, she'd clutched Day to her chest and stood her full height. She was no longer smiling.

"Tori? You came back—"

"Don't _Tori_ me, Dreemurr." Her voice was razor sharp, and it made Day flinch. "You pathetic whelp. If you _really_ wanted to free our kind you would have gone through the barrier after you took _one_ soul, taken _six_ souls from the humans, then come back and freed everybody peacefully!"

 _But wouldn't he still need to—_

Day didn't bother reasoning the argument; neither her nor Asgore dared to interrupt.

She continued no less ruthlessly, "But instead, you made everyone lives years of despair, because you would rather wait here and meekly hope another human never comes!"

 _But…_

 _… okay, she has a little bit of a point._

Day was being held tightly, facing the back wall. She became glad of the fact—particularly because she couldn't bear to imagine Asgore's expression, being so curtly reprimanded.

"… Tori…" He sighed heavily, voice laden with shame, "… You are right. I am a miserable creature."

"Wait—" Day squirmed in Toriel's arms, "Wait, no, don't be—don't be mad! It's okay!"

Toriel again blinked at her, confused, "Dear, I don't think you understand what could have happened had I arrived a moment too late—"

"I understand. I wouldn't be alive." There was a pause, "But… I am. So it's okay, isn't it? You don't have to be mad."

She sighed, "My child—"

Suddenly, with a war cry, someone burst into the room.

" _Ngaaaaaaah! Asgore! Day! Nobody fight each other!"_ Undyne already brandished a spear, prepared to intervene, "Everybody's gonna chill out and make friends or I swear to god I'll—"

She stopped abruptly upon seeing Toriel, looking like the wind had been torn form her sails.

Toriel's sweet tone returned, "Hello dear, I am Toriel. Are you a friend of Day's, I take it?"

Undyne looked utterly out of place, still frozen as she was.

"… Uh." She let the spear evaporate, "Yeah. I am."

"Well then, it is very nice to meet you!"

"Uh. Yeah. Nice to meet you too." Undyne pocketed her hands stiffly and made a beeline to Asgore. Day could clearly hear her ask in a loud whisper, "Asgore, that's your ex, isn't it? Heh… that's rough, buddy."

With a squeak, someone else dashed inside.

"H-hey! Nobody hurt each other!" Alphys hurriedly pleaded, out of breath.

They all blinked back at her in various levels of bewilderment.

Toriel was the first to recover, "Oh, are you another friend of Day's? I am Toriel. Hello!"

Alphys' cheeks reddened, "Oh! Uh… h-hi!" She stood awkwardly for a moment, then slowly began to inch towards Undyne for confidence.

Yet again, someone entered the room.

"Hey! Nobody fight anybody else! If you do, then I! Shall be forced! To ask Undyne for help!"

Day jerked her head around in his direction, "Papyrus!"

Papyrus grinned, "Human Day! There you are!"

In light of her frantic movements, Toriel set Day down on the ground, only for her to be scooped up again and spun through the air by Papyrus.

"I did not know where you'd run off to!" he shouted, "It is a very good thing that I found you!"

Toriel laughed, catching both their attentions.

"Well hello there!" she greeted, seeming to take an immediate liking to the skeleton.

Papyrus blinked, "Oh! Hello, your majesty!"

Day glanced up at him, astonished to how he could possibly know—

"Pst, Day?" Papyrus confided in a whisper, "Did Asgore shave? And then… clone himself?"

She just giggled, rendering her unable to answer.

"Hey! Papyrus!" Undyne called over, "Where's your brother? He's missing out on the whole reconciliation thing we've got going on!"

He groaned, "Sans is late for everything! He's probably sleeping at home right now! I will have to call him!" Papyrus set Day down on the ground, only for her to again be approached by Toriel.

"It seems as if you have made many friends on your journey, my child," she observed with a smile.

Day nodded, "I did." Slowly, her smile began to ebb away, "… Wait. But the whole reason I came to the castle was so that I could set them all free. Won't I have to—"

Toriel kissed her forehead, "You do not need to worry about that any longer, dear. We simply will not break the barrier."

"But—"

She was swept up in an embrace, "It is alright. You will just need to stay here for a while."

"But everyone else will, too."

Toriel frowned in sympathy, "I know you want to set us all free, Day. But freedom would not be worth it, if it meant we had to give up you." She looked back at the other monsters, "Look: you have made such wonderful friends. I do not think it will be hard for you to be happy here. Do you?"

Day watched them all, quietly. Undyne and Alphys seemed to be attempting to cheer up Asgore, with moderate success. Papyrus was calling his brother yet again, making exaggerated gestures of exasperation.

… She smiled, just a bit.

"I think… I'll be okay."

Toriel nodded, "I think so too." She offered an affectionate hair ruffle, "Now, let's get out of this room—it's much too dark in here."

* * *

"-and this kid is _running from me_ for dear life, right?" Undyne recounted, "But the minute I go down, she decides to come running right back and _help me!"_ She gave Day a wicked grin, "That's when I knew there was something up, but I didn't wanna believe it yet!"

"Nyeheh! Something very much the same happened to me!" Papyrus added, "I was busy trying to battle her in order to capture her, when-"

They had all made it to the garden when Alphys stopped, recalling something.

"Hey, wait a second," she piped up, "I-I just remembered—hey, Papyrus?"

"Yes Dr. Alphys?" He put his story on hold momentarily.

"You called everyone here, right?"

"I sure did!"

"Okay, but… if I got here before you, and Undyne got here before you… then… how did you know to call everybody?"

Papyrus laughed, "Oh, that's easy! Let's just say…" He dropped his voice, attempting to sound mysterious, "…a tiny flower helped me."

Alphys stopped dead in her tracks. Day's heart skipped a beat.

 _No..._

"… A…" Alphys sounded choked, "A tiny… fl… flower?"

 _No…!_

Day clutched Toriel's dress in a death grip, "Miss Toriel, w-we-"

"Day? What's the matter?" She asked, concerned, "Why-"

The garden soil was fully obscured by the flowers that filled it. As a result, no one saw the large vines, slowly snaking themselves towards the group. No one suspected they were there, at all. And no one expected it when they suddenly pulled tight.

Toriel was tripped, and as such Day saw only a blur. Alphys shrieked.

 _"Oh my god—"_

Day found herself on her back in a flowerbed. Vines, thick ones, were beginning to climb up the pillars of the room.

 _"Alphys!"_ Undyne yelled, _"Let her go!"_

Alphys had been caught up in one of the vines, which was rapidly constricting and obscuring her from view.

"Un—Undyne—" She tried to free her arms, with little success, "Help—!"

A spear materialized in Undyne's waiting hand, and with a roar, she charged for the vine.

"Undyne! If you are not busy—"

Undyne halted in her tracks, head whipping in the other direction.

Papyrus had managed to summon a few glowing orange bones, pelting the vines in quick succession, just able to keep them at bay.

But it was no use; in a matter of seconds, a vine shot forth and wrapped around his boot, hoisting him into the air.

 _"Papyrus!"_ Undyne cried, advancing to aid him on instinct—but halted again.

"Oh god," she realized slowly, "Oh no, no way—"

There was no time to think; she hurled a spear at the root of Papyrus' vine, then another at Alphys'. Neither faltered.

Suddenly, Papyrus' vine erupted in a blaze of white fire, causing it to shrivel and drop him. He was caught by Toriel.

"Help your friend!" Toriel instructed, "I will help him!"

Undyne didn't need to be told twice—she bolted towards Alphys, another spear held at the ready.

Toriel hoisted Papyrus to his feet, "Are you alright dear?!"

He blinked, disoriented, "Yes your majesty! But—what's going on?!"

"I do not know—" Vines began a second attack, but Toriel wasn't having it. With a single motion, she summoned a ring of fire, encircling the two.

The vines were held at bay, but not hindered—they pursued Day instead.

She shrieked, hurrying to rise in time to flee.

Her foot was caught, and she was yanked to the ground once again.

Day cried out, but remained on her back for no more than a second before the vine began to drag her away.

 _"No!"_ She struggled to find something to grab hold of, but failed. She heard Toriel call out for her.

A trident was plunged into the ground, severing the vine completely.

Day was too shocked to be afraid—she just stared.

Asgore let go of the trident, seeming surprised the idea had worked after all.

 _"Asgore!"_

Both their eyes shot to Toriel, who was glaring at him in a steely seriousness.

 _"Protect the child!"_ she commanded, eyes blazing, _"I refuse to lose another!"_

Without waiting for a confirmation, she grabbed ahold of one of Papyrus' mittens, and the circle of fire surrounding them vanished- only to reappear around Day and Asgore.

"Papyrus," she instructed, summoning a ball of fire in her free hand, "Let us save your friends."

For the first time, he looked deadly serious.

"Yes your majesty!" he agreed, a flash of orange flaring up in his sockets- a wave of bones materialized in the air.

Alphys was now completely obscured from sight- and Undyne had become frantic.

 _"You are not taking her away from me!"_ she roared, slicing each vine that came her way, _"I am not about to lose her to a frickin' plant!"_

Toriel and Papyrus were fast approaching, but not fast enough.

Vines began to grow up the walls themselves, obscuring the lower corners of the stained glass windows. The room was beginning to darken.

Day backed up, towards Asgore. She stared up at him, helpless.

"What do we do?" she asked, as if either of them had an answer.

Asgore stared back, just as petrified, "I do not know, small one-"

The fire around them flickered momentarily. The vines collected, growing into a tall mass, biding their time.

Undyne hollered- a vine had wrapped itself around her arm, pulling her to the ground.

"Undyne!" Papyrus struggled to make it to her, "Hold on! I'm coming-"

Day trembled, "W-we have to help them! But the fire-"

"No! Papyrus, stay away fr-" Her words were cut off as the vines bound her arms to her side, yanking her face down into the earth.

Toriel hurled a massive fireball at the vines in front of Papyrus, and the circle flickered again, allowing the vines to pour inside.

Day was suddenly picked up, out of their reach.

Asgore did not hesitate to act, this time; he barreled through the oncoming vines and through the weakening fire, shielding Day from their touch. He was going to fight, too.

Undyne was rapidly becoming hidden from view, though she fought no less fiercely than before. Papyrus had become entangled in mass of vines. Toriel was surrounded.

They were only a foot away from Asgore's buried trident when he too was caught.

His arm was suddenly captured, jolting him to a halt. He nearly dropped Day.

She clung tighter to him, terrified. The windows were half obscured. There wasn't an inch of the garden not covered in the still snaking, growing vines.

"Day."

Her attention was immediately captured by the booming voice; she looked up.

Asgore was solemn, "Do not let go of the trident."

She understood too late, "No-"

He didn't waver- Asgore tossed her towards the exposed hilt of the weapon, only moments before that arm too was roped in.

Day landed an inch from the trident, and as soon as she'd grabbed hold of it, reached back for Asgore-

-only to see him too being dragged away, struggling the whole time.

 _"NO!"_ she cried out shrilly.

As her voice died out, another filled the room from all sides- a high-pitched voice, a familiar voice. It was cackling.

Day's heart was hammering in her throat, rendering her unable to speak. She clung to the trident with both hands, at the mercy of the approaching vines. It didn't take long for them to find their prey; she was caught, and they began to pull.

Her grip gave even sooner than she expected, and she was hoisted into the air. The laughter only grew louder as she fought.

Vines constricted around her at an alarming rate, pinning down her arms, rendering her motionless. Still she was raised into the air, far above the garden below, until she neared the towering ceiling.

There, overseeing his handiwork with malicious rapture, was Flowey.

His grin nearly split at the end, "Well howdy! It's me, Flowey the flower! Don'tch'a recognize me?"

Day was paralyzed, barely able to breathe against the tightening vines.

Flowey just laughed again, "Golly, it sure was _convenient_ to find you all having your little _pow-wow_ in the same area- the perfect way to get rid of you little pests all at one!" The vines undulated, bringing the struggling masses that were her friends into view, "And I thought you'd all put up a much better fight than this! At least give me _some_ sort of challenge!"

They were all bound up to the neck as she was, and still, they fought.

"But really," Flowey laughed, "What chance does a whole underground of monsters have again _six_ human souls?! None, that's how much!"

He pulled Day even closer to himself, sneering, "And do you want to know the very best part of it all? I am going to _take_ the souls of _all_ your little pals here... and it's _all your fault. All because you had to *make* them love you! They're all here because of you, now aren't they?! Aren't they?!"_ Flowey was laughing maniacally, _"You did this! YOU!"_

Day shook, eyes darting from monster to monster. Alphys was unresponsive. Undyne fought the hardest, thrashing this way and that. Asgore fought too. Papyrus was watching them all helplessly, mortified. Toriel stared directly at Day, mouthing words she could not hear.

"... Why?" Was all Day could think to utter, "Why are you doing this?! What did I do wrong to make you hate me?!"

Flowey jeered, "Oh, _poor you._ You still think it's just that easy?" The vines around her squeezed tenfold, "This is all game! One big, giant, _GAME! AND I WILL NEVER LOSE- NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO RESET IT!"_

Day struggled to breathe, from the vines and from panic. She couldn't move. She couldn't do anything.

This was it.

"Day!" Toriel called out, "Day!"

Flowey heard it, and he guffawed.

"Oh how cute-" He suddenly imitated Toriel's voice, with unsettling accuracy, "Do not worry, my child! Everything will be alright!"

Day hardly noticed the vines around her loosening- they caught her just as her body began to slacken. They caught her around the neck.

Pressure around her throat, Day grabbed for the vines, holding herself up to breathe.

She was brought before Toriel, a tantalizing few feet away. If either could've moved, they would've been within an arm's reach of each other.

"You did not listen to me, my child!" Flowey continued to taunt in Toriel's voice, "I told you that all those who left the ruins would surely die..."

Day's arms were beginning to tire under her weight, and she strained to keep her grip.

Toriel's face showed pure agony, _"No! Day! Day, my child! No, please no!"_

Flowey laughed and laughed- a vine shot forth and began to tug at Day's legs, trying to make her let go faster.

She was slipping. Her heart only sped up, too fast. Her breathing sped up, too fast, and yet she couldn't take in air. Day couldn't see or hear anything around her. She only experienced one thing- terror.

 _"Day!"_

 _"To-"_

Her hands gave out.

For a moment, she felt the tightness around her neck. She thought it would break. Her heart leapt when it received no further oxygen. Then it faltered. And her vision began to blacken...

And then she was released.

Day didn't feel herself fall, and she didn't feel herself being caught. The first thing she felt was someone shaking her arm.

"...kid? Hey- come on, this ain't the best time for a nap."

She coughed tepidly, her body involuntarily clawing itself back to survival. Day tried to spot the person speaking to her, but her vision swam.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone for now. You just stay behind me, kiddo." The speaker walked in front of her, facing Flowey head-on.

A groan filled the room, "You!"

"Sure is. We met?"

Flowey hissed, _"You pathetic walking trash bag!"_

"... Yeah, but that's kinda long. I usually just go by Sans."

 _Sans!_

Day fought to regain consciousness, and gasping, she called out "S-Sans!"

"Gimme a second," he called back casually, "Got some gardening to do. Weed pulling."

Sans had only begun to raise his arm when Day latched onto it.

"Hey-"

"Sans we need to help them!" she cried frantically, eyes wild with fear, "He- he took them-"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, bewildered by her mania, "He-"

"Flowey took them! He has them!" Day's mind was too jumbled to explain properly, "We were- he came up and- he took Alphys and Toriel and- a-and-" She tightened her hold, "He has Papyrus! He took Papyrus!"

Something clicked. No humor remained in his expression.

"... Alright." He drew her in behind himself, "Stay back behind me, kid. This could get messy."

She obeyed without hesitation, clinging to his jacket for dear life.

Flowey began to encircle the two of them with vines, at bay just enough to avoid touching them, but only just.

"What are you gonna do, huh?" he challenged, "Are you going to take me down, Sans? Are you going to make me pay? Are you going to force me to reset again?"

Day didn't understand- but apparently, Sans did.

"... Yeah. That's what I thought," he muttered, to himself. "... Kid. When I count to three... you're gonna do me a favor and run for the ruins, got it?"

She held tighter to his jacket in refusal.

"I'll catch up," he assured her, "But you don't leave there until I come and get you, understand?"

For a moment, she faltered.

"I'm gonna be bringing everyone else with me, don't you worry." He didn't look at her when he spoke, "Now. I'm gonna count. And you're gonna run."

"But-"

"One."

"No, Sans-"

"Two."

The vines around them shot forward- only to be frozen by a field of blue.

"Three."

Day was shoved, literally, into motion. And she didn't stop.

She ran from the throne room.

Sans let the blue magic drop, and as he'd expected, Day was not pursued.

Flowey lowered himself to Sans' level, just smirking.

"You idiot." There was no laughter. Just a smile. "You won't be going to get her. Ever."

Sans was unmoved, "Yeah. I know."

Flowey's smile stretched, "You will die. Like your friends. Like your idiot brother."

Instead of yelling, Sans just smiled.

"Uh-huh." He cracked a joint in his neck, "We'll see about that, houseplant."

An immense rage boiled up inside him, and he channeled in accordingly, feeling the light in his socket begin to hum.

"Now I guess I'd better ask, before anything gets too serious..."

He held out an arm, directing the magic to take form. Slowly, it did. A familiar shape began to emerge. Sans grinned at his opponent.

"... Do you wanna have a bad time?"

* * *

Day's strength gave out at the elevator that led to the core. She stumbled and did not rise.

Flat on her chest, she coughed and panted and cried. Everything was happening too quickly. She had no time to think.

But a thought emerged nonetheless.

 _He lied to you._

 _He lied to you to make you run away. To keep you safe._

She had known it. And she had run anyway.

 _Because you're afraid._

 _Because you're a coward._

What could she do? She didn't stand a chance against Flowey!

 _You left them all to die._

She couldn't do anything!

 _And now you never will._

Day pushed herself up onto her elbows, then her knees. Her body shook with fear and exertion. Her eyes drifted to the path she'd come from.

 _Go back._

 _I'll die!  
_

 _Go back._

 _Maybe Sans really can handle it!_

 _Go back._

 _I can't do anything to help!_

 _Go back. Right now._

Day struggled to her feet, teetering. She physically could not run. Her leg, her neck, her whole body... everything fought to stop, to remain immobile.

 _Go back._

The most she could manage was a shaky walk. But she was unwavering in it.

 _Don't stop. Go._

She passed the city.

 _Go._

She passed the grey house.

 _Go._

In the yellow and orange corridor, she made a discovery.

There was no noise. No sound of a battle.

There was only silence.

Her walk sped up into a painful jog, and she rushed towards the throne room.

Day ascended the stairs. And she saw.

The room was almost completely dark. Vines covered every inch of space.

In the center of the room was Sans. He stood with his back to her. Vines began to creep up his body, painfully slow.

Flowey no longer towered above him- he was wrapped around his shoulders, inches from his face.

He was whispering something unheard. Unceasing. With a malicious smile.

"Sans!"

Her cry evoked no movement. Flowey saw her, jeered, and continued to whisper.

Day ran forward, climbing over the vines that blocked her path.

"Sans!" she called out, "Sans, what's wrong?!"

The closer she got, the more fiercely Flowey whispered. There was initially a blue glow around the body of the flower, but it had begun to fade long ago. The vines drew him in deeper.

"Sans don't listen to him!" Day warned, doing all she could to make it to him in time, "Sans!"

With a few final words, Flowey smiled, and withdrew from Sans' shoulders. He eased back, to watch.

Day was only feet away. She ignored any protest of her battered body and charged forward, climbing over vine after vine. She was almost there.

The vines around Sans began to consume his torso, leaving a single arm free- and Day grabbed him by the hand.

She saw his face. It was blank. His socket had cracked at the edge. There was no light in either of his eyes.

Ignoring the fear it brought, Day tugged at his hand, "Sans, come on! We have to go!"

He remained motionless, his hand limp in her grasp.

"Sans!" She shook him, pleading, "Sans, please!"

"... What's the point," he exhaled. There was no inflection in his voice.

"What?! Sans!"

"It's all just going to be reset." He wasn't looking anywhere as he spoke, "It doesn't matter."

Day was becoming afraid, and she pulled harder, not concerned with whether it hurt him or not, _"Sans!"_

The vines wrapped themselves around his torso in full, and they began to pull.

She held onto him with both hands- no, not him too. He was _right_ _there_ , she _had_ him. Not him too-

 _"Sans you can't!"_ Day was sobbing, _"Don't let him take you! Don't leave me! We can fight him!"_

At last, he seemed to look at her.

"... Why even try."

In another second, she would lose her hold.

 _"Sans!"_

"Just give up. I did."

His hand slipped free. He disappeared into the vines.

 _"SANS!"_

Day fell to her knees. Flowey laughed thunderously, the horrid sound bouncing off the walls until it was distorted.

From somewhere within him, something began to glow. It rose into a small white light, which festered throughout the vines surrounding them.

"Finally... _finally... we'll see what you think of my *true* form!"_

The light grew brighter, brighter, glaring and blinding, forcing Day to slam her eyes shut.

It filled the room, then exploded out throughout the underground.

Then, as soon as it erupted, it vanished.

And everything went black.


	28. Your Worst Nightmare

_**It's been a long time. I'm truly for sorry for keeping you all waiting. Life's been wild and turbulent, but good. I've discovered new things- but I know it's still important to wrap up the old. So it's time to finish this. I hope you enjoy! We're almost done!  
**_

* * *

Day's eyes opened slowly, as if she was awaking from a deep sleep. Her body was heavy, tired. She could only see the ground, dark and flat, beneath her.

Her arms moved listlessly to her sides in an attempt to get herself into a sitting position, but they faltered under her weight almost instantly. She was too weak.

Day just breathed, slowly, her mind an ebbing pool. Where was she? What had happened? Why…?

Somewhere, a voice spoke.

"Finally. I was so tired of being a flower."

It was a child. A boy. Day had heard it before, but she couldn't remember where.

There was another sound—movement. Approaching her. Day again struggled to sit up, and though her arms persisted, they wobbled violently. Her head hung, and she fought to lift it, to see who was speaking.

The voice came again, but beneath it, another resonated—something deeper. Something colder.

"Howdy, Chara. Are you there?" The child's voice held friendliness, the other patronization.

 _Chara._ Day knew the name. It reminded her of another.

"It's me, your best friend…" As they spoke, the voice of the child faded into silence, allowing the other to take its place in full. It was in front of her. Close.

Day peered upwards, and began in an inaudible whisper, _"Asr…?"_

The speaker was no child.

Before her was a monster, the same sort as Asgore and Toriel—goat-like, with horns, far taller than she. He wore a robe with the emblem she'd seen many times before, and a collar that rose into spiked shapes around his head. His eyes were dark. A smile curled on his face, sinister.

Asriel Dreemurr.

"So, you're awake." His voiced carried an almost taunting undertone, full of pride and power, "Good. I wanted you to see this, Chara. To see me in my true form. To see what I can _really_ do."

He was speaking to her, but calling her by a different name. Day was too petrified to correct him.

Asriel's smile tweaked upwards at her silence, the fear apparent. He glanced down at his hands, flexing them as if testing their strength, and let out a breath.

"Chara, you have no idea how this feels… having hands again, after so long…" They clenched into fists, the joints emitting audible pops, "So much more comfortable than stupid leaves and vines."

His words stirred up memories—snaking vines, screaming, her friends—

"Where are they?" Her tone was sharp, but not without an obvious tremor, "What did you do with them?"

Asriel's eyes returned to her, flashing with a glimmer of amusement.

"I already told you," he replied, "I took them. The human souls. The monster souls—every soul in the underground. They're mine." He laughed, "They're _mine_ now. Mine to control, to use to fuel my powers— don't you understand?"

He lifted his hands, which began to blaze with a fire— it was multicolored and untamed, casting a shadow across his face that darkened his eyes into pits.

"I am the most powerful being there ever was— I can do _anything_ I want to do!" He beamed, maniacally, "And I will reset this timeline, whether you like it or not!"

Asriel thrust his hands forward—the fire was unleashed in torrents, rocketing towards her. Day was barely given time to react, shooting clumsily to her feet, only to throw herself out of the way of the attack. It roared overhead, deafening, but left her unscathed.

No sooner than it had ended, another wave sealed the distance between them. Day knew she wouldn't be able to dodge it; she covered her head, turning her back to the source. She felt the sting of fire as it bit at her back, through the sweater. Luckily, the heat died down within a few seconds.

The pain managed to brute force its way through her exhaustion, and Day was able to stand again, in a frantic state of alertness. She spun around to face Asriel, to prepare for his next attack.

The fire had disappeared from his hands, but she doubted it signified his surrender. Instead, he raised them above his head, summoning something far worse.

A series of massive stars appeared in the air above him, undulating with a glaring and disorienting rainbow light. With a wave, he sent them raining down on top of her. Right before they reached the ground, the stars burst apart—they multiplied into hundreds of tiny, blinding projectiles.

Day froze against her will, overwhelmed with fear, but broke out of the paralysis and tried to dodge—to no avail. No matter where she ducked or sidestepped, she was hit. The stars were sharp, jagged, scorching when they touched her bare skin. She was acutely aware of each nick, each rip in her clothing and body. The stars kept coming, more and more, biting and tearing into her.

After an eternity, the attack died down. But it only made things worse—Day cried out, clutching her arms in an attempt to pacify their sting. She saw several splotches of red, all over her.

 _What do I do,_ her mind caught her in a stranglehold, _I can't fight him—I can't protect myself—I can't run—there's nowhere to hide— there's noting to do— why am I still here? What can I do? I can't— I can't win this—I can't do anything—_

Asriel had begun to prepare another attack; a ball of swirling light took form in his hands, with a low and steady drone. The sound grew along with the size of the ball, and Day realized it was charging. She rooted herself to the spot, eyes glued to it.

 _I might be able to dodge this one,_ she rationalized, _If I wait until the last second—_

 _But what will it matter? He'll just fire again, if he misses—_

 _But I have to try—_

 _It won't matter—_

The relentless thoughts were interrupted when, with a thunderous sound, Asriel released the light in a single, solid blast. Day was able to dive out of the way, managing somehow to remain up on her feet.

But then, the blast halted suddenly—Asriel, still channeling the light, fired at her a second time.

Shock rendered her still for a crucial fraction of a second; Day was able to dodge, but only partially. The light grazed her arm, catching the elbow. She shrieked, the pain of it causing her chest to constrict painfully. Before she could stop herself, she looked at it.

Bright and infuriatingly red. Burned. Badly. Blood.

It made her gasp, and the sensation brought a flood of tears up to her eyes.

 _I can't do this—I can't do this—_

Day shook, gasping more violently, the insurmountable terror unable to be stifled, overflowing in the form of tears.

 _I don't want to do this anymore—I want it to stop—I want to be done—I want it to stop—I want to be done—I want—I want—_

 _—why won't he just end this?! Why won't he get it over with?! He's stronger than me, so why doesn't he make it stop?!_

As if sensing her thoughts, Asriel just chuckled, lowering his hands a moment.

"So you really don't understand," he mused, then shook his head—he acted as if he was disappointed, "I don't want this to _end._ I don't care about destroying humanity, or monsters, or anything else. See, once I defeat you, there won't be anyone to keep me from resetting, again. I can take everything—everyone's memories, their lives—back to zero." He grinned, "And then we'll be able to do this all over again, Chara."

Day was shaking, from horror and pain and bewilderment. What was he talking about? Resetting? Resetting what? Time? But there was no way—people couldn't just—

Her thoughts were interrupted as her eyes caught sight of another set of materializing stars. Fighting down the choking feeling she felt in the pit of her chest, Day yanked her sleeves down over her arms, as if it would make a difference, and prepared to shield herself.

"And do you know what the best part of all of this is?" The sneer, the sheer relish was blatant in his words, "You'll do it."

The stars rained down, breaking apart into thousands, and Day threw herself down into the fetal position, covering her head and face. New scratches, new burns, new pains. She didn't rise, even after the torrent had long ceased.

"You'll do it, you'll make it this far, and you'll lose to me all over again." Asriel began to gather another ball of light, "You'll lose again, and again, and again, _and again and again and again!"_

Day heard the hum of energy. She struggled to stand, dove to avoid the attack, avoided the next, and the next. But fear wasn't enough to keep her alert, anymore. Her body was drained, battered. It wouldn't respond to her pleading. It stumbled and stalled, failing her.

"All this because you want a "happy ending"," Asriel taunted, taking a moment to consider which attack he wanted to use next—there were so many to choose from, after all, "Because you "love your friends." Because you "never give up"." He studied her a moment, and seeing her current state, he practically giggled giddily, "Isn't that _delicious?_ Your so-called "determination," the power that let you even get this far… it amounted to nothing, in the end. All it did was lead you here, to your demise."

Day barely managed to remain upright, not even able to lift her head to watch her opponent.

 _He's… toying with me,_ she realized, _He knows he can kill me, but instead, he's… making me suffer even longer.._

It was only her stance that kept Day on her feet, now. She stared at the ground, slowly becoming numb to the pain that assaulted her senses.

 _Just make it stop,_ she pleaded, _Just stop it… I want it to stop… I don't want… to do this anymore…_

Seeing her lack of urgency, Asriel seemed to grow bored of playing with his victim—he rolled back his shoulders, loosening them for what was about to come.

"Now, enough messing around," he declared, brimming with anticipation, "It's time to purge this timeline once and for all!"

Asriel shoved his hands sharply in front of him— a shape began to take form. Something massive, indiscernible at first, but as it grew, it took on the appearance of a skull. An animal skull—with horns and fangs.

Day didn't notice she'd been retreating until something solid forced her to halt. She pried her eyes away from the still growing object to see what had stopped her.

A trident. Buried deep into the earth.

Asgore's trident.

An image of the king being dragged away from her flashed in her mind. It was followed by that of Toriel, calling her name—

Something stirred within Day.

The skull suddenly unleashed a hideous sound—a hollow roar, recapturing her attention. It opened its enormous maw, revealing an empty blackness within. Then, Day felt herself being pulled towards it.

Her hands flew back, towards the trident's handle, and she just managed to latch on before the pull became intense. It was like a wind had picked up, forcing her in the direction of those unforgiving jaws. Day knew her hands would give, and for a moment, she almost considering letting them slacken—

She remembered Sans, not even attempting to match her grip on his hand. Leaving it limp. Letting himself be taken.

Day felt a flare from within her chest, and her grip on the trident tightened. Fighting the pull of the creature, she hoisted a leg around the handle, then another. It took the pressure off her arms at least a little, and she held fast. The trident didn't even shift in place, as if it was rooted to the ground by will alone.

Slowly, the pull died down, and Day dropped back to the floor—she turned in time to see the skull dematerializing, fading into nothingness. Behind it, Asriel stood in place, looking only mildly amused.

"Even after all of _that,_ you're still standing in my way, huh?" He shook his head, sporting a smile, "Wow… you really _are_ something special, Chara. We both know that." The smile morphed, turning sharp, "But don't get too cocky. Up to now, I've just been having fun—using a tiny fraction of my _real_ power!"

Day's heart fell even deeper than she thought possible. For a moment, she'd thought that maybe, there was…

 _… a chance…_

Asriel held his hands in front of his chest, and a white light began to radiate from within him. His eyes were wild, manic.

 _"Let's see what good your determination is… against this!"_ he roared, and in a massive burst, the light exploded, flooding the previously dark area.

Day shielded her eyes, only slightly too late, feeling suffocated by the sudden illumination.

It faded, and the room was bombarded with something equally overwhelming—a laugh. A deep, horrible, rollicking and inhuman laugh. Day dared to looked.

It was…

… awful.

The horns had grown. There were fangs. A pulsing and twitching heart of white light adorned his chest. Claws. A wingspan double his size, swimming with inky colors and eerie light. He'd grown even larger. He hovered above the ground, a sort of ethereal demon…

He truly was a monster, now.

Asriel laughed again, deafening. Day had never felt so small, so insignificant and powerless.

 _"Behold!"_ he bellowed, _"My true power!"_

Fire spouted from his hands, arcing like comets down upon her. Day barely possessed enough sense to place the trident between herself and on onslaught, but it made no difference. The attacks were worse than before—stronger, more numerous, immensely more painful.

Asriel offered her no rest—he just kept summoning them, sending them down in wave after wave, not pausing while he taunted.

 _"I can feel it,"_ he growled through a grin of pointed teeth, _"With every attack, every time you fall, your grip on this world slips away. Every time you fall, your "friends" forget about you a little more. You will die here—your life will end, alone in a world where no one remembers you. As if you never even existed in the first place."_

The handle of the trident was all that supported her now. Day was slouched against it, hit again and again. She couldn't even muster a whimper, anymore. She was hit, and it forced out a breath. Again, and again, and again. She didn't hold onto the handle. She started to sink, the lights becoming increasingly blurry.

 _Just make it stop…_

 _"Still, you're hanging on?"_ Asriel showed no frustration—it egged him on further, and the attacks increased tenfold, _"Why bother? In a few moments, you'll forget everything and everyone. That attitude will serve you well in your next life."_

A strike sent her stumbling—she tripped over the trident, falling to her knees. Inertly, her hands stopped the fall, and Day remained all but immobile.

 _"Still? Come on! Show me what good your determination is now!"_ Asriel increased his attacks yet again, _"Show me, Chara! Show me! Prove me wrong! Show me that you can win! Show me! Do it! Show me now!"_

Day didn't feel herself finally fall, face down onto the ground. She was just there.

 _Stay down. Then it will stop. It will be over. It will finally stop…_

 _Just let it stop, please…_

 _Please, I give up. I don't want to fight anymore. I can't do it._

 _I can't beat him... It's impossible. I just have to let him win…_

…

…

…

…

…

…

… _If I don't get up, everyone will stay trapped. Forever._

 _…_

 _They'll be stuck here. They'll forget everything._

 _…_

 _I'll forget everything._

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _… No._

 _I will not let that happen._

 _I will not._

 _…_

 _I **refuse** to let it happen._

Where it came from, she didn't know. What it was, she didn't know. But something resonated from deep within her soul. Something burned stronger than ever before, filling her veins and spreading out across her entire body. It didn't take away the pain or the fatigue, but it made it possible to power through them.

Day put out her arms. She pushed herself up. She stood. She turned up her head to meet Asriel's eyes. And she spoke.

"No." Her voice was unwavering. "I will not let you."

Asriel actually seemed amazed, _"Oh really?"_

His taunting had no effect, and Day did not falter.

"I will get them back," she told him, "I will not let you keep them. I will save them."

 _"And how will you do that?"_ Without waiting for her answer, Asriel sent a wave of fire cascading down upon her.

Day threw up her arms and endured the strikes, stumbling a bit, but not discouraged.

"I don't know," she admitted, though without a trace of doubt, growing steadily louder, "But I will do it. I _will_ find a way. And I will not give up until I do!"

Asriel laughed, the loudest yet. He appeared even more massive than before, more daunting and deadly.

Day clenched her fists, not feeling quite so small anymore. She set down a foot, standing her ground fiercely, and she shouted with all the determination she could muster:

 _"I am not afraid of you!"_

His laughter ceased, and he peered down at her, humoring the outburst.

 _"It doesn't matter,"_ he assured her, _"There's no reason to keep fighting, anyway. There's no one there to save, anymore. Everyone—they've long forgotten you."_

Day glared at him, "I don't believe you."

It made him sneer, _"So what if you aren't afraid of *me,* Chara? It won't help—"_ He suddenly began to fade, seemingly swallowed up by the surrounding darkness, _"Even if I don't scare you… I know what will…"_

His absence caught Day off guard, and she searched the area for a sign of him.

 _What's he doing?_ she wondered, _Is he trying to sneak up on me?_

Though she continued to keep up her guard, Asriel did not reappear. At first, nothing did.

Then, from a ways behind her, Day heard shuffling footsteps. She spun around, prepared to defend herself.

Out of the darkness, slowly, shapes began to take form. Two distinct, tall shapes, moving at a steady and monotonous pace. They came into view—

Day felt herself retreat, a single step.

 _Toriel? Asgore?_

The two were unmistakable, though to her confusion, their faces were hidden from sight. A strange white fog, one which behaved more like a flickering flame, engulfed their heads in full. It didn't seem to cause them any pain. Rather, they continued their approach without hesitation, coming ever closer to Day.

Just as she considered meeting them halfway, Day was halted by what she saw next.

Toriel raised her hands to her sides, palms filling with a tall white fire. Asgore had walked over to his trident, and in a single, sharp motion, freed it from the earth. Then, as a unit, the two closed in on Day.

Fear gripped her heart, and Day remained frozen in place.

"Wait—" she stammered, "Wait, what are you—"

With a sudden surge of motion, Toriel send a wave of fireballs speeding towards Day, showing no restraint.

She was too astonished to react in time—Day was hit and offered only a yelp, the physical pain being the last thing on her mind.

"Miss Toriel!" Day cried, "What are you—?!"

Toriel attacked again, summoning another wave of fire. There were gaps between them, just large enough for Day to avoid being hit. Before she could mistake it for an act of mercy, both Toriel and Asgore attacked—it created an impenetrable wall of flames that struck head-on.

Day had turned her back to it, which now burned relentlessly—she could feel patches of the sweater and shirt missing, leaving her skin exposed.

Petrified, she stared at the two, "Wait! Stop it! Please—why are you doing this?!"

She was ignored, and Toriel began to form another attack.

 _They can't hear me,_ she realized, _It's like they don't even—_

 _… remember me._

Asriel had been right. They'd forgotten her.

For a moment, Day's heart clenched, and her determination wavered.

"Miss Toriel…" she tried to call out, but she had a feeling it wouldn't work.

Toriel threw out her arms, calling forth a stream of fire that shot out in both directs, closing into a large ring around Day—

—and Asgore.

He held the trident before him with both hands, still for a moment.

Day could retreat no further, her back practically pressed against the wall of fire behind her. She couldn't help but feel a stab of fear, facing Asgore once again. There was no hesitation or gentleness, this time. She knew he was ready and willing to kill.

Asgore started to approach.

"N—no—" Day trembled, "No, please—you don't have to do this—"

There was no break in his demeanor; he was getting closer.

She felt herself starting to lose hope again, and Day tried to snatch it back up.

 _This can't be it—they can't just have forgotten everything…_

 _They have to remember. Even if it's just a little, they have to remember something! Anything!_

It was difficult, nearly impossible, but Day managed to gather her thoughts.

 _They're still in there, somewhere. They're still there. I can't be scared—I have to help them remember._

"King Asgore," she spoke, though her voice still held the obvious notes of trepidation, "You don't have to do this. You don't have to fight."

It had no effect. He was within striking distance, and began to raise his trident to strike her.

Day fought her instincts and remained in place.

"I will _not_ fight you," she told him firmly, "I am not going to hurt you. And you don't have to hurt me, either."

A hint of hesitation—a flinch. The fog around his head flickered a moment.

"… this is… my duty." It was low and without feeling, sounding almost dazed.

Day didn't allow him time to reconsider.

"I know," she replied, "I know why you did those horrible things. But you don't have to keep making the same mistake. You don't have to be the bad guy." Ignoring the fact that he was still poised to attack, Day took a step forward.

"You're still a good person—you can still do the right thing. You still have time."

Asgore did not move. For a moment, Day assumed the worst—that her words had fallen on deaf ears. Seconds passed, and still, nothing happened.

Day had barely noticed the ring of fire surrounding them vanish, just as she barely noticed Toriel's approach. It was only when a massive fireball came barreling towards her that she tore her eyes away from Asgore, gasped—

The trident was buried into the ground a matter of inches in front of her. Day thought that Asgore had missed his target.

Until the fire was deflected by the weapon, shielding Day from the attack.

He'd protected her.

He'd remembered.

But Day didn't linger on it—she ran out from behind the trident, to stand before a now seemingly confused Toriel.

"Miss Toriel, we don't have to fight," she spoke quickly, "I'm sorry—I'm sorry I left you behind. I'm sorry for all the children you've lost—the other human children, and Asriel. It's not fair."

Toriel seemed to flinch, but instead of rendering her still, it made the fire in her hands flare up into an uncontrollable blaze.

"I'm sorry I hurt you!" Day shouted, feeling the weight of her words in full, becoming teary, "But I won't make the same mistake! When this is all over, I promise, I will _never_ leave you behind ever again!"

The fire crackled for a moment before it was snuffed out completely. Toriel stood aimlessly, silent.

The white fog flickered, for just a moment.

"…m… my… chi…"

Just as she had appeared, Toriel vanished, fading back into the darkness. Behind her, Day realized that Asgore had done the same.

She was alone again.

… Then, she caught the sound of a low hum, from somewhere in the shadows.

 _"NGAAAAAAAAAH!"_

Day whipped around to face the shout, and came just shy of being skewered by Undyne's spear.

 _"Get back here you little brat!"_ she snarled, wasting no time in taking another swipe at Day.

She jumped back, eyes wide with panic.

"Undyne—!" The fog was present over Undyne's face as well, and Day tried the same method as before, "Undyne, wait! We don't have to fight—we're friends, remember?"

"Why the hell would I be friends with a pathetic human?!" Undyne hurled the spear at Day, summoned another, and then another, "You're our real enemy! All humans must die!"

Day ducked and weaved, just avoiding the projectiles, "That's not true!"

"You'd be more valuable to all of us _if you were dead!"_ She unleashed a growl of frustration, having not hit Day a single time, and the spear in her hand crackled with blue magic. "Now fight me!"

"No!" Day protested, "I'm not going to hurt you! You're my friend!"

 _"Shut up!"_ Undyne charged her, thrusting the spear forward.

Day sidestepped, replacing the distance between them.

"You have to remember—we cooked together! I mean, we tried to cook, but then we accidentally burnt your house down—" She realized how bad it sounded, "But you told me it was okay, because we had fun anyway!"

Undyne ignored her, wildly slashing the spear through the air, "Stop lying!"

"I'm not lying to you!" Day insisted, flinching when an attack came too close, "You made me tea, and you told me about how when you were a kid, Asgore trained you to fight—"

The spear arced within a hair's breadth of her face, and Day knew she needed to end this, fast.

"Undyne, I am _not_ going to fight you!" she insisted resolutely, "I will not hurt you! And you don't have to hurt me! You want to do what's right, and so do I! But I can't do it on my own—I need your help!"

A spear landed a few feet from her left side. Undyne seemed to have faltered in her throw. For just a moment, she ceased in her onslaught.

"What?" It was clipped, as suspicious as it was baffled.

"I need your help to save everyone," Day repeated, "I need you to let me go—to stop fighting. I'm not strong enough to beat you, and I'm not going to try—I won't hurt you. No one has to be killed—we can _both_ win and do what's right for everyone. We can find a way to set them free. You just have to trust me—please, _stop fighting me, Undyne."_

Like the others, the white fog flickered, losing its hold over her. Undyne seemed to struggle, reaching up to clutch her head.

"You—" she snarled, "You—you're just a—hu—"

"I am a human," Day interrupted, "But that doesn't mean I'm bad. Right?"

Another flicker of the fog. Undyne stood upright.

"Punk— you're—"

Before anything else could be said, Undyne disappeared.

Day wouldn't be caught off guard again; she spun around in circles, searching for who was next.

Off in one of the furthest corners of the darkness, Alphys was practically curled in on herself, face hidden.

Day ran forward, "Alphys! You have to remember—"

Before she made it to her, Day stopped, listening.

Alphys was muttering incomprehensibly to herself, claws ticking nervously against each other.

"Alphys," Day tried again, confused, "Are you—"

The muttering went on regardless, as if she was completely oblivious to Day's presence.

She closed the distance between them, half expecting some sort of attack—but nothing came. Alphys went on mumbling, faintly, in a breathy voice. Day had to sneak even closer in order to make out the words.

"… hate me. They all h-hate me…" The words trembled, jittered by what sounded like tears, "And it's my fault… they hate me because I'm horrible… a-and I can't do anything right…"

Day's heart clenched, "… No, Alphys—that's not true—"

"I h-have to keep lying… That's the only way… anyone w-will be able to stand me…"

"Alphys, no. You know that's not—"

She was either ignored or Alphys couldn't hear her, "Everyone would be much b-better off it I never… if I just… w-wasn't here…"

In an instant, Day grabbed Alphys by both hands, forcing her to face her.

"Alphys!" She called, a little louder than she'd intended, "None of that is true! You know that!"

Alphys shifted, trying to free her hands from Day's hold. So, Day latched onto one of her arms, refusing to be shaken off.

"I—I deserve—this—"

"Alphys, stop—"

The sleeve of her labcoat shifted under Day's grasp, making it slide up and reveal the yellow scales underneath…

… as well as several long, thin patches where scales had stopped growing entirely, uprooted by what looked like… scratches of some sort.

… Scars.

Day had accidentally let go, startled by the discovery, and Alphys retreated hastily, turning her back on Day.

"Leave… me alone…"

For a moment, Day was silent. After the initial stalling of her mind, she began to construct what she would say—she just hoped it would be enough.

"… Alphys." It received no reply, so Day walked around to face her, taking her by the hands once again, "Look at me."

Alphys resisted, so Day reached into the fog, placing her hands on either side of her friend's face. Indeed, she felt lines of tears there.

"Alphys, you have to listen to me," Day stressed, trying to sound both gentle and firm, "Don't say those things about yourself—they're not true. We don't hate you— _I_ don't hate you. You're my friend! You're smart and funny, and you took care of me when I was sick, and you protected me in the lab, and you helped me get through Hotland, and—we watched cartoons together, and we ate junk food, and you showed me how to build a circuit board— you've been so nice to me—"

"I've got to keep… lying…"

"No you don't!" Day refused, "You don't have to be scared to tell the truth—no one is going to hate you just because you've made a few mistakes—it doesn't make you a bad person!" She returned her hands to Alphys', squeezing them tightly, "Alphys, your friends love you! And no matter what happens, they'll always be there for you—you're _not_ your mistakes! It's—it'll be okay in the end, I promise." Day tried to offer a reencouraging smile, as shaky as it was, "L… love yourself— I love you! Okay?"

…

… Day felt her hands being squeezed, weakly.

"… okay…"

Darkness overtook her. She was gone.

All Day could do was breathe, trying to regather herself for whoever was next. All she had to do was talk, to get them to remember. She could do this. It would be okay.

"Human."

The voice. She almost didn't recognize it—there was no enthusiasm or life behind it. It was hollow and listless. But she knew who it belonged to.

Day couldn't turn around, feeling her chest clench up in pain.

"N-no," she blurted, "No… I can't…" Tears already stung at her eyes, knowing she had no choice, "Please, not…"

Keeping her back to him proved a mistake—she was pelted with a barrage of bones, both blue and orange. While the blue phased right through her in her frozen state, the orange ones struck her head on—hard.

One rammed into the back of her skull, actually making her vision swirl for a second. Day teetered, throwing out her arms to regain her balance. She was forced to see him, face obscured, standing idly for the time.

She bit back a pained sound, "Papyrus, no…"

Papyrus just raised a hand, robotically, and a cloud of bones appeared above him.

"I must… capture a human." With that, the bones shot forward.

They were much faster than his attacks in Snowdin—and there were more of them. Day tried to dodge, but her heart wasn't in it; she was hit a few times, resulting in deep bruises.

"Papyrus!" she called out, wanting to end this quickly, "Please stop—don't you remember me? We're friends!"

More bones- one of which made her trip, landing hard on her chest.

"I must capture… a human," he repeated, as if in a trance.

"N—" She wheezed, the air knocked out of her chest, "Papyrus it's—it's me! It's Day! You know me!"

Before she could rise, Day was pelted with bones again. She yelped, curling up to shield herself.

 _Papyrus would never—he would wait for me to get back up—!_

"Please!" she cried, "Don't— we don't have to fight!"

Her pleas fell upon deaf ears, and with no sign of tiring, Papyrus summoned another cluster of bones.

"Must capture… a human…" he said again, "Then, everyone will…"

"You don't have to do this!" she insisted, "You—you don't need to!"

The bones rained down upon her. One struck her squarely in the ribs, and she shrieked.

"Papyrus, this isn't like you!"

 _He really doesn't remember me,_ she reasoned, _No matter what I say._

 _… But what if, instead…?_

Day struggled to her feet, an arm wrapped protectively around her now aching ribs.

"Papyrus—this isn't you!" she exclaimed, "You only fight fair! You would never hit someone when they're down!"

The bones ceased their spin, suspended aimlessly in the air.

"You… you're better than that," she continued, "You're—you're the Great Papyrus! You're a master chef! And Mettaton's biggest fan!" Day dug through every memory she could muster up, searching for more, "You make the best puzzles! You're a future royal guardsman! You're—" She couldn't help but pick up a smile, "—you're an expert at what to do on dates! And at cheering people up! And encouraging them! And you're famous online! And you're Sans' cool brother—and…"

She paused, then continued with utter sincerity, "… And you're my friend, even though I'm a human—because you can make friends with anyone. Because you're the greatest, Papyrus!"

Day caught the telltale flicker of the white fog, and Papyrus seemed to take a step back.

"… Human?"

He vanished.

She knew who was next.

"Hello?" she called out, half afraid to receive an answer.

No one answered, and no one appeared out of the darkness as usual.

Day examined the area, but still, nothing. No one.

"… Hello?" she offered, timidly, "Anyone?"

She moved forward a few steps, trying to ignore the slight sting that rose up her leg—it wasn't that bad. She had other things to worry about, right now.

After a few minutes, Day was sure she'd circled the space she found herself in, though it was hard to tell for sure.

 _What's going on?_

Turning, she caught sight of something—something blue.

Sans had his back to her, hands stuffed into his pockets. She could just see the white fog over the top of his skull.

Day waited, to see what he would do.

… Nothing.

She began to approach, eyes glued to him cautiously.

"… Sans?" she managed to whisper, knowing it would give away her presence if she hadn't already.

He didn't stir.

Day crept closer, tried again, "Sans?"

No movement.

By now, she was only ten or so feet away. Before she could speak up again, something caught her attention.

Though it was clear the fog covered most if not all of his face, it looked as if it didn't quite reach up enough to cover the back—the bare skull was visible. And even from such a distance, Day could spot a dark line, creeping from the front of his head and beginning to snake down the back. A few more feet closer, and Day saw the finer details of the crack.

She took in a quick breath, now more worried than cautious.

"Sans, are you okay?" she asked, "What happened?"

Nothing.

Day quickened her pace, reaching out to grab hold of one of his sleeves.

"Sa—"

She was forcefully stopped in her tracks, as if she'd hit a brick wall. She could see the blue glow that now engulfed her. Day was too petrified to scream.

Then, she was in the air, off her feet. Looking down. Sans held up a hand, not even bothering to look at her.

"Shut up."

Day was forcefully slammed back to the ground—on her face.

There was a sickening crunch. It reverberated through the rest of her head.

An agonizing shriek was wrenched from her small frame, unable to contain the overload of pain she now felt. A steady stream of blood began to gush from her nose, soaking the ground and the lower half of her face.

It was unlike anything she'd felt before—the sensation crippled her. Day forgot where she was for a moment, blinded by the stabbing pain centered in the middle of her face.

It was shattered. She knew it. Her nose was completely broken.

"There. Maybe now you'll stop whining, for once."

Day's head shot up, staring in a combination of horror and astonishment.

 _Did… he just say…?_

Before she was given time to feel the full sting of the comment, Day spotted movement to her right. She tore her gaze away from Sans to—

Day was struck with a barrage of bones that seemed to materialize out of nowhere; they were a mix of white and deep blue, and every single one of them hit head-on.

She cried out, but nothing could surmount the constant, unbearable pounding of her broken nose.

"S—" Her voice dissolved into a whimper, pain overcoming her resolve.

"I said—" With a violent sweep of his arm, Day was levitated in the air again, "—shut up."

The thought of being slammed into the ground a second time was all that prevented her from freezing in terror, and Day struggled against the blue glow that surrounded her. In response, she was dropped. Trying to land on her feet was a mistake, and she crumpled, the injured leg flaring up in a familiar and painful way.

She did not stay in one place—though she couldn't rise, Day scrambled to back away from Sans, eyes darting back and forth to scan for another attack.

"S—Sans!" she stammered, only half aware of what she was saying, "Stop! It's me—"

"I'm not an idiot." His voice was cold, angry, like when he'd snapped at her in MTT Resort, "I know who you are."

Day started to shake, not understanding.

 _But, if— he shouldn't be—if he remembers—_

"You're the anomaly," he spoke lowly, "The one who's gonna reset everything. Just because you want to."

She shook her head, "I don't underst—"

Day was hoisted into the air again, fast enough to make her head snap back and send a jolt down her spine.

"You can't understand how this feels," he continued, "Remembering something that never even happened. Knowing that you could make it out after all this time, only to wake up back down here again. Being at the mercy of some _thing_ that can screw around with people's lives and memories without anyone being able to stop them. Knowing that one day, all of this… will just be reset." Day felt the grip of the blue magic around her tightening, "That's your fault. Isn't it."

Her head was still reeling from whiplash, and Day fought to regain her senses.

"Sans—" she gasped, "I don't know what—"

She was dropped, and a handful of bones were swung up into her body right before she hit the ground. Day remained face down, hoping that if she kept still, maybe his attacks would let up.

Instead, she was lifted again, held upside down. Blood ran in the opposite direction as before, making her gag at the taste.

"It doesn't matter." He hadn't even moved from his initial spot, a glowing hand raised to keep her in the air, "I gave up trying to go back, myself. And getting to the surface doesn't appeal to me, anymore. I can't fix anything—" His voice shifted to something more bitter than before, "But at least things will _stay_ one way, if you're not around to reset it all over again."

Right before she was dropped again, Day spotted the dark crack along Sans' skull—it was growing.

"St—stop it," she pleaded over her coughs, splattering the blood from her nose across the ground, "You'll—you're hurting—yourself—"

He released a single, harsh breath, "Like that ever mattered before."

By now, Day could only shudder where she lay, unable to move, unable to flee, and unable to think.

She was jerked upwards again, and Day braced herself.

"… Dunno why I'm bothering with this in the first place," Sans muttered, "It doesn't matter. Who's to say something else won't come along and do it all over again? No one else will remember it. No one will be able to stop it from happening. I can't do anything to stop it. I can't do anything." The hold around Day was beginning to falter, "I don't know why I even tried."

"Sans I don't know what you're talking about," Day desperately tried to cut in, catching the first opportunity that came, "I don't know about timelines or resetting or—"

 _"Stop lying to me."_

She was hoisted even higher into the air, then dropped. Day screeched—

—and was stopped just before hitting the ground, only to be tossed up again, then caught in a similar manner.

 _"I thought that the anomaly was just doing this because it was unhappy,"_ he growled, sounding betrayed, _"I thought that if it was satisfied, it would just leave us all alone—that if I kept it from falling off a cliff, and kept it from freezing to death in the snow, and kept it from being killed by spiders—that maybe a little gratitude would make it change its mind. But I guess that makes me even more of an idiot than I thought."_

Physical pain wasn't the only thing gradually working away at Day's determination, now.

 _The cliff… and Muffet… it was… that's why he had my sweater… he…_

 _… I didn't know… I…_

 _… oh no…_

Her train of thought was broken as she made contact with the unforgiving ground, and her vision swam. For a moment it teetered, nearly fading to blackness, only to unwillingly resurface in reality.

From her position on the ground, Day was just able to see the area above Sans' head—something large was taking shape, growing with white magic, into a form she was familiar with.

"I have to do this," Sans spoke listlessly, almost to himself, "I let it all happen in the first place… and instead of doing something about it, I sat back… and did nothing… like a worthless, lazy, waste of space… and it all reset again, and again… and now… it'll be stuck like this… cause no one could… cause I couldn't… do anything."

Day was paying more attention to his words than whatever final attack he was preparing for her, and she fought to rise.

"Nothing's gonna matter… cause I couldn't… do anything right for anyone… and it's my own damn fault, isn't it?"

She was horrified to see the white fog flare up violently, nearly consuming him.

"N-no," she whispered, "S-stop it—don't—"

The words were halted as Day glimpsed the object, now fully formed, and pointed directly at her.

A skull, like that of an animal—not goat-like, as Asriel's was. She didn't know what it was supposed to be. But it was massive. It resembled the red machine in the dark lab she'd only recently escaped. A deep blue light glowed from within both its eyes, fixed squarely on her.

Day tried to rise, but no longer had the strength to do so. The most she could manage was to keep her head somewhat lifted off the ground, blood still trickling down her face and dripping from her chin.

The animal skull, whatever it was, let its jaw slide open, and a bright light began to take form inside.

 _What do I do now?_ she wondered hopelessly, void of ideas. Nothing she'd done had even made him hesitate—he was just going to keep attacking her, until—

The skull's mouth had filled with the light, blinding white, and it whirred with the energy it took to contain the magic.

Sans raised a hand, prepared to direct the attack.

"… Well." His voice was drained, hopeless, "I might as well try to do something that matters, for once."

"Sans—" Day instinctively tried to stand, but winced and sunk down again, "Sans, no— you're wrong—I didn't—I didn't know—about what you did. I—I'm sorry."

No rebuttal came. It was all she needed to keep talking, a spark of hope flaring up from within.

"I don't understand what you're saying about resetting and timelines, but—but whatever it is, I can't even do it—so you don't have to worry about it—because—it won't happen! And—and you can't give up— you can't give up hope!" She stared at him helplessly, desperate to get through, "You're wrong—things _do_ matter! And you do too! And—and you don't have to—"

In a last-ditch effort, Day held out her hand in invitation.

"I… I can help," she offered, "I want to help… I'm sorry that—that I didn't know about how much you helped me—but I know now—and I want to do the same thing for you! Because you're my friend, and—and—I just want to help you." Her whole body trembled in anticipation, begging she was truly getting through, "Please… y-you're my friend, Sans."

…

 _"I don't care."_

With a deafening sound, the skull unleashed the full extent of its stored power, engulfing the area where Day sat.

She saw light, felt the blinding pain—but only for a moment. Then, there was nothing.

Day felt like she was floating in the empty nothingness. The ache of her body was gone, along with any sensations altogether. She just… lingered.

 _… Where am I?_ she wondered, _Is this… Am I…?_

 _…_

 _No—I can't go—I was so close to saving them all. I just have to get him back…_

Deep down, Day feared it was impossible. And even if she did, how was she supposed to face Asriel? He was still there somewhere, still just as invincible as before.

 _How do I stop him?_

… Then, she realized.

 _I have to make him remember. Just like everyone else._

 _He has to remember_ _ _…__ _ _ _…___

 _… But first…_

Day resisted the aimless void she found herself in, concentrating on the one thing she could still make out, just barely—her heartbeat, faint and sounding far away.

 _Wake up,_ she instructed herself, _You can fix this. You can save them. But you have to wake up._

Slowly, very slowly, things began to ebb back: the feel of her fingers, the cold earth against her cheek. Flashes of pain erupted in short bursts, growing longer by the minute, but it only helped her find her way back.

 _Wake up. You have to go back! Wake up!_

The nothingness yielded to light, and Day opened her eyes. She was kneeling, hand extended in invitation. Just like before.

Sans was facing her, unmoving. The animal skull was still in place above his head, mouth alight with magic.

Day felt a flood of determination surging through her body, and it was all that enabled her to rise to her feet. When she spoke, it was not in a tentative whisper—the words were clear, intentional, and strong.

"Even if you've given up on everything, I won't."

He made a low sound, and in response, the animal skull began to whir loudly.

"I'm not going to give up on you!" she shouted, "And I won't let you, either!"

…

 _"I don't care."_

The skull's mouth dropped open to fire—

Day cleared the distance between them, limp ignored, in seconds. She wrapped her arms around Sans' middle, hugging him tightly.

Nothing happened. The deadly whir continued unabated, and Day slammed her eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

…

… It died out. There was silence.

Something touched her arm.

"… kid?"

And then, her arms were empty. He was gone.

Day didn't allow herself time to be relieved—there was still one more person left to save.

 _"Asriel!"_

There was no response, but she remained undaunted, knowing he could hear her.

"Asriel, I'm sorry!" she yelled, "I'm sorry for what happened to you! How you died! It wasn't fair!"

Her words seem to strike a nerve, because Asriel materialized before her eyes, towering above her.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, no longer sporting the malicious confidence from before.

"It wasn't fair," she repeated, "You were just a kid, and you lost someone important—the most important person to you. And you couldn't do anything to stop it."

Recognition flashed in his eyes, and Asriel almost seemed to flinch.

"Wh—what did you do?!" A hand flew to his chest, as if in pain, "What did you do to me?! What is—this feeling?"

"I know what it feels like," she continued unabated, "I know how it feels… to lose someone you love… and to have to watch them go… and not being able to follow after them." Day wasn't aware of the tears that had started to bubble up in her eyes, long in coming, "I _know_ , Asriel."

Asriel recoiled with a snarl, "No! _NO! I don't need anyone!"_

In an attempt to silence her, he summoned a massive barrage of fiery comets, sending them spiraling towards Day. She merely stood her ground, refusing to be moved. A few struck, but it only made her flinch.

"Asriel, no matter what you do, you can't change what happened," she told him, her voice heavy with sympathy, "Hurting me and everyone else won't fix things, and it won't make you feel any better!"

 _"Stop it! Do you hear me?!"_ Asriel was roaring, a thunderous sound, and continued to pelt her with fire, _"I'LL TEAR YOU APART!"_

Day shielded her face the best she could, but her eyes bore into Asriel, refusing to back down.

"You need to stop this!" she demanded, "I'm just trying to help you!"

 _"NO!"_

The comets kept coming, and though more and more hit their marks, Day held fast.

"Asriel! Stop!"

 _"G-get away from me!"_

With a surge of power, Asriel flooded the area with a wave of fire—only to let it die out, a few seconds later.

"Ch-Chara," he stammered, a sudden lapse in his furious tone, "Do you know why I'm even doing this? Why I k-keep fighting to keep you around?"

Fire still emitted from his hands, but Day came to realize that it steered to avoid her, the closer it came. She lowered her hands, peering up at him solemnly.

"I'm doing this because…" Asriel wasn't looking at her, as if speaking to himself— or to a memory of someone who was no longer there, "… Because you're special, Chara. You're—you're the only one who understand me. You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore…"

Day's heart ached with empathy, knowing exactly what he meant.

"I know," she offered quietly, "I know you're lonely. And I know you're hurt, and scared… I know you just want him back again—"

"N-no," he interrupted, "That's not just it. I… I'm doing this… because I care about you, Chara. I care about you more than anyone else in the world. I'm…" A look of fear crossed his face, "I'm n-not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for y-you to leave me—I'm not ready to have to say goodbye to someone like you all over again!"

Asriel began to shake. Then, astonishingly, he started to cry.

"So please… stop doing this!" In an instant, there was a massive attack readied in his hands, "And just _let me win!"_

Before she had a chance to react, Day was swallowed up by a blinding, rainbow blast of light. It was unbearable—searing, practically a hurricane of force slammed against her, unceasing. But still, Day held her ground.

 _"Asriel!"_ she hollered over the roar of his attack.

 _"Stop it!"_

Day wasn't even strong enough to raise her arms in front of her face, so she shielded it within her shirt the best she could, determined not to fail.

 _"Asriel!"_

 _"STOP IT NOW!"_

 _"ASRIEL!"_

 _"S-stop it!"_

 _"Asriel!"_

 _"Chara..."_

As his voiced died down, so did the attack.

 _"I… I'm so…"_ Behind it, another voice returned, and the two spoke in unison, "I'm so alone, Chara…"

Day, still blinded, called out to him once again: "Asriel!"

"I'm s-so… afraid, Chara."

She recognized the returning voice easily; the child from many years ago. The one from the tapes.

The _real_ Asriel Dreemurr.

"Asriel…"

"… I'm…"

It trailed off. Day began to feel disoriented, and the room seemed to melt away…

* * *

Blobs of yellow and green took shape beneath her feet, and Day took a moment to steady herself, trying to take in the surroundings.

She heard a faint sound, from somewhere in front of her: crying.

Day quickly looked up—which proved to be a mistake, as her head swam once more—and saw who was there.

A small monster, the same size as she, was wiping his eyes pitifully. He wore a green sweater with a single yellow stripe across the center. Long ears flopped down on either side of his head, and fluffy white paws obscured his face from view. He vaguely resembled a baby goat.

"… Asriel?" she whispered, "Are you okay?"

At the sound of her voice, he stopped, removing his hands from his face. He offered her a sad smile, tainted by tears.

"I'm so sorry," he whimpered, nearly as soft-spoken as she, "I always was such a crybaby, wasn't I, Chara?"

Day frowned, "… Asriel. I'm not—"

"I know," he interrupted, "I know you're not actually Chara, are you?"

Day shook her head, "No. I'm not."

He uttered a little laugh, as if he'd suspected it all along, "Of course. You couldn't be… Chara's been gone for a long time." There was a bit of an awkward pause, "… Um. Then what… is your name?"

"Day."

"Day?" Asriel seemed to smile a little, "That's… a nice name. It's sunny."

She couldn't help but smile in return, despite everything that had happened.

"Thank you."

There was a lull in the conversation, and Asriel looked out across the room they were in; the throne room, Day recognized. It was quiet and still, flowers stagnant in the fading light.

"… I haven't felt like this for a long time," Asriel admitted, taking it all in, "As a flower, I was soulless. I wasn't able to love other people. But now, with everyone's souls inside me, I've got my own compassion back. And…" A hand gravitated up to his chest, as if feeling the sensation while he spoke, "… I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much."

He shifted his gaze to meet hers, "They all care about you too, Day. Do you know that? I wish I could tell you just how much they do—Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys…" Asriel's voice trailed off a moment, "… Toriel and Asgore." His tone shifted back to normal, a funny smile on his face, "Monsters are weird like that. Even though they barely know you, it feels like they all really love you."

Asriel laughed a little… but it faltered, replaced with a guilty expression.

"… Day," he said, "I… I understand if you can't forgive me. And I understand if you hate me, too." His eyes were glued to the ground, unable to face her, "I acted so strange and horrible, and I hurt you—you and so many people. I know there's no excuse for what I've done—"

She didn't allow him to finish.

"It's okay."

Asriel's head shot up, baffled, "Wh-what?"

"I said it's okay." Hoping to convince him further (and to ignore her own exhaustion), Day offered a smile, small and sweet, "Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?"

"… What?" He replied, as if he hadn't understood her; his face shifted to a pained smile, on the verge of tears again, "Day, come on… you're gonna make me cry again…"

She giggled, "You don't have to cry—it's okay. Besides, you'll make me start crying too, and I already do too much of that."

Asriel laughed too, "I guess we're the same, there!" He sighed a bit, and the smile became more subdued, "Besides… even if you do forgive me, I can't just keep all the souls I took—it wouldn't be right. The least I can do is return them… But first, there's something I have to do."

"What is it?"

Asriel placed a hand on his chest, "I can feel it—right now, everyone's hearts are beating as one, burning with the same desire. And with everyone's power… with everyone's determination…" His hand tightened into a fist, and he looked to Day with an expression of resolve, "It's time for monsters to finally go free."

* * *

The two stood side by side, facing down the strange barrier. In light of everything she'd faced, it seemed a little smaller to Day, this time around.

"Do you think it will work?" she asked, turning to Asriel, "People said that it would take seven human souls to break it, and you only have six."

He nodded, "Yeah, but if you take the soul of every monster living in the underground, that's enough power to equal a single human soul…" His smile showed a tinge of uncertainty, "… Or at least, it should be enough."

Day reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

"We'll never know unless we try," she advised, "… It will be okay. We can do it."

Her determination passed over to Asriel, and he nodded, brow set.

"Right. We _can_ do it. We have to!"

Asriel took in a breath, and then began to walk forward, a hand extended before him. He walked until he felt resistance, his hand flattened against the nearly invisible surface of the barrier.

From afar, Day could see his mouth moving, but she couldn't make out the words being said.

Then, light began to radiate around Asriel; a little ring of glowing objects, each a different color. Around them, more lights appeared, white, and encircled Asriel in a slow revolution. They began to speed up, growing brighter and brighter, until they formed a seemingly inseparable ring. Day could only watch, mesmerized by what she was seeing.

The barrier suddenly stopped shifting, turning a stark white. It seemed to fight against whatever was being done to it, struggling to hold fast—

But it failed.

An enormous crack shot up from where Asriel touched it, reaching the very top, hundreds of feet above.

For a moment, all was still.

And then, finally, it happened. With a sound like crumbling stone, the white magic gave way, shattering and dissolving into the nothingness. It revealed darkness, and whatever else lied beyond.

The barrier was destroyed.

While Day was frozen, marveling, Asriel approached her slowly. He looked tired, so Day gave him a wide smile.

"You did it!" she exclaimed.

He smiled back, "Well, it wasn't just me…"

His voice was low, quiet—Day caught it immediately.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am. I just… I… have to go now," he admitted, "As soon as I release everyone's souls, without that power… I can't keep maintaining this form." Asriel stared down at his hands, having only just gotten them back after so long, "I'll… turn back into a flower: stop being "myself." I won't be able to… to feel love or kindness again… So…"

Asriel still tried to smile, but it was obviously forced, "… So it's best if you just forget about me, okay? I'll… I'll let them all go, and… you can go be with the people you love."

Day's heart broke, hearing this. Fighting tears, she hurried forward, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

Asriel flinched, taken aback. At first, he didn't move… but then, a series of soft sniffles let Day know he was crying.

She gave his back a little pat, trying to further comfort him.

"It's okay," she reassured, starting to cry, herself—but she knew it would only make things worse, so she did her best to hide this, "It's okay, Asriel."

She felt his arms rise to return her embrace, clinging to her like a lifeline.

"H…ha," he managed to utter, "I-I… don't want to… l-let go…"

"Then don't," she told him. "Before you go, you can… wait, for just a little while longer. We can talk, or just relax… since… we might not be able to do it, again."

Day knew he was hesitant, and he didn't respond right away.

… His hug tightened.

"… okay. I'd like that."

* * *

Both of them were slow in going, considerably drained from all that had happened (though maybe Day had a bit more to endure) and walked back to the throne room together.

Asriel wasted no time in climbing up onto the large throne in the center, and helped Day to do the same—there was more than enough room for them both.

"Dad used to let me and Chara play in here all the time," he told her, "As long as we didn't hurt any of the flowers. We didn't have these yellow ones though—I remember white ones, and little light blue ones… I don't remember what type they were, though."

"Forget me nots?"

"Huh?"

"The flowers. Forget me nots are little and blue—and they grow near the top of the mountain. So it might have been those."

"Oh yeah—that might be it!" He gave her a goofy smile, "Kinda funny that I forgot their names, isn't it?"

She giggled, "Yeah."

"… Day, let me ask you a question I've been thinking about."

"Okay?"

He looked at her, curiously, "Why did you come here? To the mountain, I mean. Everyone knows the legend right? That people who climb Mt. Ebott sometimes disappear, and aren't ever seen again. Why would you want to climb a mountain like that?"

Day didn't answer immediately, glancing down at her hands. They were scuffed up from having to catch herself over and over again.

"… I just… came to pick flowers."

"That's it?" he questioned, "You can't get flowers somewhere else?"

"I can," she agreed, "But I like the ones here, better." It wasn't the whole truth, and gradually, Day sighed in defeat, "And besides, I used to come up here a lot, when I was really little. With my family."

Asriel could feel the change in her demeanor, and his expression turned to one of concern.

"Did something happen to them?"

With great effort, she nodded.

"They… it happened a long time ago, so it's okay… but I always… once a year, I try to come here and pick flowers, and bring it to…" Day couldn't quite form the words, so she compromised, "… Just so they know I haven't forgotten about them."

Asriel understood, even with her ambiguity, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry."

There was a pause.

"… Well. I know why Chara climbed the mountain. It wasn't for a very happy reason."

"What do you mean?"

Asriel met her eyes, seeming like he was mentally wrestling over his words.

"… I'll be honest with you," he finally admitted, "Chara… really, _really_ hated humanity. He never told me why—he didn't like to talk about it, not with anyone. But he felt really strongly about it."

She frowned, not sure what to say.

"In fact, I don't know why I ever acted like the two of you were the same person—I mean, even though you both look a little bit alike—"

Day recoiled a bit, "I look like a boy?"

"No!" he blurted, "That's not—that's not what I mean! I mean, your hair is a little—the both of you have—"

She hastily tried to smooth down her hair, sure it did her no favors.

"I don't really look like that much of a boy, do I?" she demanded childishly, as if it was suddenly the most important thing in the world.

He made a flustered sound, looking bright pink underneath the fur, "That's not—not the point I was trying to make! I mean, no, you don't! Really! But what I mean is, you're really… you're nice, and you don't want to hurt anybody, no matter what. Chara was nice to me, but sometimes, it felt like… like he was just so angry, deep down." Asriel seemed to be realizing something, and it weighed on his words.

"Maybe… Chara wasn't really… the greatest person. And I was projecting a little bit." He gave her a sheepish grin, "Uh, I mean, let's be honest—I did and said some pretty weird things, as a flower."

"Yeah, maybe a little."

"Oh," he remembered, "And in the future, if somehow you _do_ see me… not me, but uh… "Flowey"… please try not to think of it as me, okay? Just remember me as the real me—like this. Someone who got to be your friend for a little while. Okay?"

Day nodded, trying to think of anything she could say to make the conversation go on longer.

But Asriel seemed to know what she was doing; he just sighed, shaking his head with a smile.

"I really do have to go now," he insisted, "Or I'll never be able to."

He hopped off the throne, leaving Day where she sat.

A pang of urgency shot through her, knowing the finality of what was about to happen.

"Asriel—"

He turned back to face her, his expression the same.

"Don't worry," he reassured, "You're going to do a great job—no matter what you do, everyone will be there to help. It'll be okay." His smile widened into a friendly beam, "Okay?"

Without waiting for her to answer, Asriel began to walk through the flowers of the garden, towards the entrance of the throne room.

Day hurried to jump off the throne herself, but the moment she made impact with the ground, her head reeled. Her leg, her side, her arm… everything began to come back into focus, gnawing away at her. Above all else, a profound sense of exhaustion had seeped into her consciousness, pulling her downwards.

Still, Day fought to stay awake and upright, to follow Asriel.

 _No, not yet—he can't go—not yet—_

She reached out for him, "Asriel!"

At the edge of the flower patch, he stopped, turning to look over his shoulder. He didn't look sad or even afraid. Instead, he seemed calm, resolute. At peace.

"Oh, and by the way… take care of mom and dad for me, okay?" he asked, his voice light despite the sincerity behind it, "I'm trusting you to help them be happy, again. But I know you won't have any trouble with that."

Day's knees wobbled, forcing her to kneel. Still, in desperation, she reached out.

"Asriel…"

Asriel just raised his hand in a wave, still smiling.

"Goodbye, Day. And thank you. For everything."

He turned, leaving the room behind.

Day was swallowed up by fatigue, and despite her best efforts, was pulled under by it. She slumped forward into the embrace of the flowers, an arm still extended before her.

"As... _ri… el…"_

Her hand fell to the ground, powerless, and Day finally drifted off into an unwilling sleep.


	29. The End

_Day…_

The voice sounded miles away, almost indiscernible. Day was still deep in the clutches of sleep, unable to surface quite yet.

 _Day, dear, this is all just a bad dream… please wake up…_

The voice was familiar…

 _…yrus dear, you can go and tend to your brother—we will continue to heal her._

She still couldn't see or feel anything, only hearing snippets of what was being said around her.

Slowly, in little pulses, sensation began to return to Day. It wasn't defined to a specific location, appearing all over.

 _Be careful with her head._

 _I will—_

 _She hasn't lost too much blood, has she? It's all over her…_

 _I'm sure she—_

 _She still hasn't woken up. I don't think she looks much better than when we began._

 _Tori, it will be alright; just give her time._

There was a lapse in the voices, so Day tried her best to tune into them again, beginning to wake up even more in the process.

Along with this new state of wakefulness came an unwelcomed return of pain; subtle at first, just an uncomfortable prickling, until it morphed into a full-on sting. From it, Day was able to place her elbow, her leg, her nose.

With a feeble groan, she stirred.

"Day?" She heard Toriel from directly above her, sounding only inches away, "Dear, can you hear me?"

Day tried to move, but her limbs felt like blocks of metal, weighing her down. She tried to speak—it came out as another faint sound.

But it was all Toriel needed—she made a quick noise, almost a laugh of relief, and brushed a hand across Day's cheek.

"Oh Day—it's alright," she reassured, her voice soft and a little wavering from emotion, "You're going to be alright. Don't worry."

She became aware of an arm supporting her, Toriel's hand on her cheek, and someone else's hand resting on top of her head; they gave her hair a small fluff before withdrawing.

Struggling, Day managed to open her eyes a tiny bit, though she couldn't quite see anything. It was just bright, fuzzy. She knew she was being held by Toriel though, and from the looks of the bright colors around them, she assumed they were in the throne room.

From somewhere in the distance, she could just hear Undyne, who was shouting something near incoherent.

"—you _ever_ scare me like that again!" she hollered, "You weren't moving, and I _freaked out!"_

"S-sorry! I—I mean, I couldn't exactly—I didn't mean to—"

Alphys interrupted herself with a squeak, as if the air had suddenly been crushed from her lungs.

"The next time I see that flowery freak, I'm gonna show him what happens when he thinks he can mess with you or _any_ of my friends!" There was a pause, then a laugh, "You call that a hug? Come on! Put some passion into it! I can take it!"

"Oh—I—um—okay—"

A sudden pang flared up surrounding Day's nose, making her wince, and she raised a hand to cradle it—

"Careful, dear," Toriel cautioned, stopping her hand midway, "I think it may be broken—don't be scared. We're doing our best to help you heal… I do not think it will completely fix everything, but it should make things a little easier on you." She held Day's hand in her own, running a fluffy thumb up and down it.

Day's vision was becoming a little clearer, so she peered up at Toriel, squinting in the light.

"Is… everyone… okay?" she managed to ask, having to search for her voice amidst everything else.

Toriel smiled, "Yes, dear. We're all fine. Perhaps a little roughed up from that flower…" Her smile shifted, "… All we can seem to remember was the flower attacking, a bright light… and then we awoke here, again. Day, can you remember anything else happening?"

Confused, Day tried to explain, but was stopped by the constricting ache of her ribs.

Toriel shushed her gently, "That's alright. You don't have to talk for now—there will be plenty of time for it, later. Rest."

She obeyed, beginning to nod off, again.

Before she could, however, there was a shout from beside her.

 _"DAY! YOU ARE OKAY!"_

Her eyes flew open from surprise, and she did her best to sit up.

"Now Papyrus dear, please be careful—" Toriel started to caution. Her fears were proven unnecessary; Day was scooped up with the utmost care, then hugged gently in the skeleton's arms.

"Day! We were so worried about you!" Alphys chimed in, hurrying over to join them.

"Yeah—you mind telling us when you're planning to take another nap like that again?" Undyne snapped, but it was clear she was joking, "You even made Papyrus cry like a big baby!"

"I was not crying!" he argued, defensive of his pride, "I don't cry! I just… caught something in my eyes!"

"Yeah? What did you catch?"

"TEARS!"

Day giggled, and though she was tired, she reached up to hug him in return.

"Don't cry," she reassured, "I'm okay now."

He patted her head with a mitten, "I can see that! I knew you were very tough, even for a human! So I was not incredibly worried, nyeheh!"

Papyrus knelt down to return her to Toriel, but instead, she rose.

"Let us see if you are able to walk on your own," Toriel offered, "Do not worry if you are not—I can heal you a bit more, if needed."

Day was set down gingerly, and she clung to Papyrus' arm for support. She wobbled, but was otherwise able to remain upright. An experimental step proved that her injured leg, which only offered annoyance as resistance, would not give her major trouble.

As much as she wanted to be rid of the hammering in her head and ribs, Day remembered what she'd been told about healing—how it would take energy from the monster performing it—and she didn't want to do that to Toriel or anyone else. So, determined, she tried to make herself look as energized as possible.

"I'm okay," she insisted, to Toriel and Papyrus both, "I can walk."

"Yeah, she's already powered up enough to take out that friggin' flower thing a second time!" Undyne cheered.

Day cringed, "Um… m-maybe not…"

While Undyne laughed, Day heard someone else speaking, a ways away from the group. She turned to see who it was.

Sans shrugged off Asgore's hand with a smile, "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm good—Pap fixed it up."

"Are you sure?" The king looked concerned, "You must have overdone it."

"Yeah, guess I did. What's new, right?"

"Hm. Please be careful, Sans. You do remember what happened when—"

"Really, I'm fine," he assured, pocketing his hands and offering a shrug, "What can I say? I'm good at cracking myself up, y'know?"

Asgore couldn't help but chuckle at the joke, despite his former seriousness. Around then, Sans noticed they were being watched; he blinked, then offered Day a wink.

"Lookin' spiffy, kiddo. The blood pulls it all together."

She blinked in return, temporarily frozen.

Sans' smile faltered, "… Hey, kid? You're not still scared of me, are y—"

He was cut off as, in a matter of seconds, Day had cleared the distance between them. She caught him in a tight hug, burying her face into his shirt.

It was his turn to freeze, his mind currently functioning as efficiently as a blue-screened computer.

…

"… Uh. Alright then. Guess that's a no."

When it didn't receive a reaction, Sans stared down at her, not quite sure what to do.

"… You… okay?"

Day only hugged him tighter, refusing to be dissuaded.

"Sans," she said firmly, muffled by his shirt, "I'm sorry I didn't thank you earlier for helping me—I didn't know about all those other times—and I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful, because I wasn't trying to be—I just didn't know—"

"Hey, slow down there, bucko—"

"And I meant what I said—that I won't—I won't let you give up on yourself, no matter what—"

"Whoa whoa, hey!" Sans interrupted, "What are you talking about?"

She peered up, confused, "What do you mean?"

"I'm wondering the same thing about you." He looked clueless, and then frowned, "… Jeez, that flower sure did a number on you, huh?"

Day opened her mouth to explain—and then stopped herself.

 _I don't think…_

 _…He doesn't remember fighting me…_

 _None of them do. So, should I tell them?_

 _…_

 _… No. I don't think I should. That would only make them feel worse. Besides, it wasn't really "them" anyway—they didn't know what they were doing. It's not their faults. They didn't mean to do any of it…_

 _… I can't tell them. It would be awful._

"… Yeah," she lied, feeling only slightly guilty for doing so, "… I guess so…"

Sans hesitantly reached up and gave her hair a ruffle, "Well… you obviously had no trouble running over here… so I guess you ain't so bad off, huh?"

She smiled, but to his discomfort, continued to hug him.

He glanced up at Asgore, who was hiding laughter at his expression, and silently pleaded for help.

Day did eventually release him, knowing he wasn't one for hugs, and gave him his space.

Backing up, she nearly stumbled from lingering exhaustion, but she was quickly steadied again—by Asgore.

"Careful, little one," he cautioned. When Day peered up at him, she realized exactly how much Asriel looked like his dad—it made her smile.

She nodded, "Thank you, sir."

"Come on!" Undyne yelled from behind her, "What are we all standing around for? The barrier's down, isn't it?! Let's get a move on!"

Toriel approached Day's side, reaching down to offer her hand.

"That's right—I'd forgotten to tell you, dear," she said, eyes alight, "When we awoke, the barrier was gone—I'm not sure how it's possible, but… it's finally gone."

It hadn't really struck Day until then, the gravity of it all.

It truly _was_ gone—after how long, she didn't know. But there was nothing keeping the monsters trapped underground, now. They were _free._

 _She_ was free.

"Well come on!" Undyne grabbed Alphys by the hand, pulling her along while she ran, "Let's go!"

Papyrus was hot on her trail, "Sans! Now is the absolute last time to be lazy! Come on! Hurry up!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he assured in his usual flat tone, but even he seemed to be making an effort to pick up the pace.

Day and Toriel followed Asgore, leaving behind the throne room and entering the long, grey hallway. It stretched on for what felt like miles, until finally depositing them in the room where the barrier once stood.

The strange wall of light had given way to a simple cave mouth, dark at first, with only the slightest glimmer of sunlight.

Day caught herself holding her breath in anticipation, heart leaping at the smallest golden rays. This was it.

She was ready.

Toriel's hand tightened, just a bit, and she led them out of the mouth of the cave…

… and into the light.

She shielded her eyes as a reflex, nearly blinded, but forced herself to look.

They weren't at the top of the mountain, but up high enough to see out over the valley it surrounded. Within, the tall trees of the forest, giving way to the smaller houses and buildings—where she'd come from. And in the distance, looming against the sun, were the tall skyscrapers of the big city. Day had only seen them from afar, and it looked just as enormous as before.

The sun had turned the sky dark yellow and orange, well into its descent beneath the horizon—it would be night in less than an hour or so.

Day took in a deep breath, the cold mountain air filling her lungs.

It had never seemed quite as beautiful to her as it was now.

Beside her, she saw the monsters were all staring like she was, in various degrees of astonishment.

"… Wow," Alphys whispered, sounding breathless, "It's… even better than TV tries to make it… I never imagined…"

Next to her, it looked like Undyne's jaw was about to drop off—for the first time, she was rendered speechless.

At least for a few seconds.

"Day, you get to _live_ with this all the time?!" she demanded, " _Jeez,_ have I been missing out!"

"… Did… you ever think you would be able to see this… again?" Asgore asked, his voice faint.

Toriel took in a breath. Her voice sounded much the same as Asgore's when she finally replied.

"… No. I didn't."

"Sans?" Papyrus piped up, "What's that giant glowing ball in the sky?"

"We call that "the sun," bro."

 _"That's_ the sun? Wowie! I can't believe I'm finally meeting the sun!"

A chorus of laughter met the statement, and Day covered her mouth to mask her own giggling.

"As much as I could look at this for hours…" Toriel began, "… Perhaps we should figure out what to do next."

When her hint wasn't received, she glanced over at Asgore. Then, she cleared her throat.

He almost seemed to jump a little, caught off guard.

"Oh. Right—of course." Asgore looked over at them all, "Everyone… this is the beginning of a bright new future—one of peace between humans and monsters." His eyes shifted to Day, and he smiled a bit, "… After all, we've seen clearly that it's impossible for _all_ humans to be cruel, as we once thought. If they're anything like Day, here, I would say we have nothing to worry about."

Day felt her cheeks redden, and she stared down at her shoes, flushing modestly.

Undyne cackled, "Come on, Asgore! You're embarrassing the kid!"

"That being said," Sans added, "I'm sure the kid'll put in a good word for us with the humans—figure she's the best choice for an ambassador, right?"

"Yes! Day will be the best ambassador!" Papyrus agreed, "Does that mean I get to be the mascot?"

Sans chuckled, "Don't see why not."

"Yippee! I'll go and make a good first impression, then!"

Before anyone could stop him, Papyrus bolted off down the trail leading down the mountain.

"… Welp. Guess someone should probably go after him and make sure he stays out of trouble," Sans suggested. Despite this, he showed no indication of an intention to follow.

After a few seconds, Undyne groaned.

"Ugh, do I have to do everything around here?" She broke into a sprint, "Papyrus! Wait up! Don't start greeting people without me!"

Alphys hesitated a moment before following in suit, "Undyne! Wait for me!"

Asgore simply let them pass, glancing back at Toriel long after they'd run off.

"… Should I…?" He trailed off, unsure.

Toriel's expression was flat, a single eyebrow raised in disapproval.

"It will be night soon." She spoke pointedly, "We will need to return here, and inform everyone of their freedom in the morning." When nothing came of it, she cleared her throat once again, impatient, "So don't let them get too far away, Dreemurr."

It was all he needed to jump into action.

"Oh—yes, I will—do that," he stammered a bit, clearly shrinking under her gaze. In an instant, he had followed after the others, down the side of the mountain.

Toriel just shook her head as he left, chuckling quietly to herself.

"It would seem everyone is quite eager to set off," she commented to herself and Day, turning back to face the sun.

Still holding her hand, Toriel gave it a pat.

"I'm very proud of you, dear," she told Day, giving her a loving smile, "It's because of you that everyone will be able to see the outside world, for the first time. Because of you, we're all _free."_

Day felt her face heat up again.

"It's… it's no problem," she assured, "I'm happy I was able to help."

Toriel laughed aloud at her words, then knelt down to be at eye-level.

"Oh, my dear…" She reached up and caressed one of Day's cheeks in a hand, "You are wonderful, do you know?"

Day just smiled back at her.

"Now," Toriel continued, "I know that we must wait here for at least tonight, but I promise that as soon as we are able, we will return you home—I'm sure there are people who are very worried about you, by now."

In an instant, Day's smile vanished, and she felt a deep sinking sensation in her chest.

"… Um…"

Toriel caught this easily, "What's wrong?"

"… I don't…" She fidgeted where she stood, "… I don't exactly… have a home to go back to."

For a moment, there was clear pain in Toriel's eyes. She didn't speak, immediately.

… But then, slowly, the smile returned: more subdued than before. Toriel closed her eyes, shaking her head, and gave a soft chuckle.

"… Day, sweetheart," she began, "You really are a funny child." Toriel opened her eyes, and reached out to give Day a gentle bop on the nose, "If you had only said that earlier, none of this would have ever happened! I suppose it is a good thing you took so long to do so then, isn't it?"

The woman held out her hand in invitation, much like she'd done back in the ruins, "If you would like, I am willing to do my best to take care of you for as long as you need."

Day nearly gasped, taken aback.

"… R… really?" It didn't seem real, "I can… you'd let me stay with you?"

Toriel's eyes glistened a bit, beginning to tear up.

"I would be very happy to do so, Day."

There were no words to be spoken that could accurately state everything Day wanted to say in that moment. After a few attempts to do so, she realized it was impossible—instead, she just nodded.

 _"Yes,"_ she managed to whisper, then nodded again, _"Yes please."_

Day was wrapped up in an embrace, one she returned with equal enthusiasm.

It lasted just long enough for the both of them; Toriel eventually released the hug, reaching down again for Day's hand.

"Now," she coaxed gently, "Come along, my child." The words were even sweeter than before, "Everybody is waiting."

They started down the mountain path, rocks casting shadows across it in the light of the sinking sun.

But Day remembered something.

She glanced back at the place from where they'd come, finding it empty.

"Wait," she requested, "Where's Sans?"

Toriel stopped walking, peering back as well.

"Oh, I think he slipped back inside the mountain while we were speaking," she explained.

Day gave her a confused look, "Why? Is he okay?"

"I'm sure he's alright, dear," Toriel assured, and they resumed walking.

Only a second later, Day turned her attention back to the entrance once again.

"We should tell him where we're going," she suggested.

Toriel paused, "He will be able to find us, if he wishes. Do not worry—he'll be quite alright."

Still, Day stared back at the mountain, "… But…"

Seeing that it wouldn't leave her mind, Toriel sighed with a small smile.

"… Very well." She released Day's hand, "We will not be very far—come and find us, if you'd like. You can take your time."

Day nodded gratefully, "Thank you!" She hurried back up the path, and reentered the mouth of the cave.

* * *

Sans let out a long, steady breath, and sunk into his jacket even more. He nudged a stray pebble over the ledge, looking out across the monster city. It already seemed that much smaller, and duller.

"… What am I doing here," he muttered to himself with a sigh, hands shifting slightly in his pockets. He'd tried to walk away a few times, but found himself unable to fully do so at each attempt.

"Sans?"

He glanced back in surprise—Day stood a few feet away, looking as confused as he.

"Oh. Hey kid." He offered a wave, "You didn't have to wait up."

"I know," she replied, "I wanted to."

The conversation seemed to be the invitation she needed, and Day walked forward to stand beside him.

"Is your head okay?" she asked, "I saw the crack in it earlier—"

"Yeah, it's fine," he assured, "Pap healed it. Don't worry, it happens every now and then."

"Why?"

Sans shrugged, "Eh… usually just when I'm not paying attention and overexert myself, with the whole powers thing."

She nodded, then ventured another question, "Sans… why are you back here?"

He chuckled once, "You know, I was just asking myself that same thing."

When he didn't answer all at once, Day didn't pry; she just turned her attention out across the city, like he was doing. She hadn't taken much time to actually look at the city, seeing as every time she was there, there were more pressing things on her mind.

"… I guess it's just cause… I've lived underground here, my whole life," Sans finally admitted, "And I'd kinda gotten to a point where I figured… the whole "getting out" thing wasn't gonna end up happening in my lifetime, y'know? So, I didn't expect to ever have to look at this place and… well, know that I was gonna be leaving it behind—for good."

He looked over at Day, his expression no more than a half-hearted smirk.

"You ever had to do something like that, kid?" he asked, "Something final? Knowing you're gonna move on and not come back from it?"

Day met his eyes, and she nodded.

"Mm-hm."

Sans made a low sound, actually surprised by her answer.

"Oh yeah? Didn't know I was talking to a pro, here—" He gave her a nudge in the arm, "So tell me then; how'd you do it?"

She blanked, put on the spot.

"Um…" Day scrambled to regather her thoughts, "Well… I know it sounds really short, but… all you have to do is just start walking, and don't let yourself turn around to look back."

"Heh. That easy, huh?"

She shook her head, "No, it's not easy. It just sounds that way."

Sans huffed a laugh, still peering out over the city.

"… Well. No time like the present then, right?" He glanced over at her, "You ready to head out of here?"

Day nodded, "Yes."

"Me too. Let's beat it."

The two walked back towards the exit, though neither spoke. Day knew that Sans was focusing on following through, not turning back, so she didn't interrupt his concentration.

When they stepped out into the light once again, the sun had already set a little lower, the sky redder than before.

 _It'll be dark soon,_ she thought, _But at least way up here, we'll be able to see…_

A light bulb went off in Day's head, and her eyes widened—she had an idea.

"We'd better catch up with everyone," Sans suggested, "Before they get too far ahead of us—"

"Wait," she interrupted, reaching out to grab his sleeve, "Wait. Before we do that, I need to show you something."

He gave her a funny look, not expecting the sudden enthusiasm.

"Like what?"

She shook her head, "It's a surprise. We just have to walk up the mountain a little bit—I think I know how to find the trail from here."

Sans wasn't buying it quite yet, "You sure you wanna be climbing up a mountain right now? I mean, I'm not doubting you or nothing, but uh… you don't exactly look like you're in mint condition."

"Trust me," she insisted, "You'll want to see it. I promise."

He studied her face, searching for some clue he wasn't catching. Finding none, he sighed.

"… Alright. I'm trusting ya, kid. I'd better be dazzled by whatever it is you're planning."

She grinned, "You will be."

* * *

The sun continued its descent as they walked, climbing over small boulders and tree branches as Day searched for the path.

Every so often she would have to stop, her ribs or leg acting up.

"You okay?" Sans asked.

She nodded, "Yes—I'm fine."

"Don't hurt yourself kiddo—someone already did a pretty good job of that, themselves."

Day swallowed, knowing what he meant, but also knowing how mistaken he was.

"I know."

"Maybe we should just head back down and—"

"No!" she blurted, "It's important! We're almost there, anyway!"

Sans was still just as skeptical, but knew it was no match for her determination.

"Alright—" He raised his hands in defense, "Alright, I'm coming."

They walked a little while longer, and just as the light was beginning to fade from their surroundings, Day found the telltale flattened earth of the path. She breathed a sigh of relief, unsure how much longer she would have been able to endure the rough terrain.

"We just have to take this trail for a little bit," she called back to him.

"Gotcha."

Day led the way, her pace a little slow—fortunately, so was Sans', so she knew she wasn't holding him up. Besides, she figured it would be best to wait a bit, until the sun had set fully.

The path curved gently to the right, and along its sides, Day spotted a few stray flecks of wildflowers. Bingo.

Once again, the immense boulder stood smack dab in the middle of the path, but Day wasn't dissuaded—she simply headed back into the trees, winding her way through the dark vegetation of the forest, and reemerging back onto the path on the other side of the obstacle.

When Sans appeared behind her, she spun around to face him.

"Now," she said, "Close your eyes."

"Kid. Really?"

"Trust me!" she pleaded with a smile, "We're right here! I'll lead you forward so that you don't trip, I promise!"

His sigh was long and dramatic, but to his credit, Sans complied. Day reached forward, taking both his hands, and began to move slowly backwards.

The path devolved into a massive clearing of wildflowers, rising up past their ankles, making Sans stop in his tracks.

"What the—"

"It's okay!" she assured, "Just keep walking."

"Kid, I would hate to have escaped from underneath mountain after so many years only to end up falling off the top of it."

She couldn't help but laugh, "I'm not going to lead you off the mountain! We're not even at the top of it."

"Oh good," he retorted, "Shorter fall. Encouraging."

With another giggle, she looked up at the sky—as she'd hoped, the sun had completely vanished. It was dark, without a single cloud to obstruct the view.

Perfect.

Day dropped Sans' hands, practically giddy with the growing excitement of seeing his reaction.

"Okay," she said, unable to keep the sound of a wide grin out of her voice, "Now you can look."

Sans opened his eyes—and saw the flowers. He blinked.

"Oh. Flowers." He failed at keeping the disappointment out of his voice, "Kid, you know, we have those underground too—"

"No!" she corrected, "Look _up!"_

"Huh?" Sans did, "What d—"

The change was blatantly obvious; his entire face slackened, sockets widening, jaw actually dropping a bit.

This high up, there was no light pollution to hide the stars. All of shone brightly, clustered together into cloudy galaxies of white and purple, in stark contrast to the inky blue and black sky.

Sans was rendered immobile, as well as silent.

…

"… whoa."

Day couldn't help but laugh at the dumbfounded statement, having expected exactly this.

Not wanting to interrupt this moment and tired from the journey, Day resigned herself to leave him be for the time. Instead, she began to do what she always did when she came to the mountain—pick flowers.

It was a little hard to find her way around by the light of only the stars, but Day had been there enough to manage. Instead of going for variety, Day remained around the daisy patch, gathering enough in her arms for the task at hand.

Walking away from them, something crunched beneath her feet, so she drew back from the source.

It looked like a collection of dried leaves, in a sort of wreath. Day reached down to pick it up, and upon closer examination, she couldn't believe what she was holding.

It was the chain of flowers she'd been braiding before she fell. They had long since died and shriveled up, lifeless and brown, without any of the vibrancy from before.

Day just shook her head at the coincidence, and set it back down where she found it—she didn't need it anymore, after all.

Sans had sat in the flowers, eyes still glued to the stars above, so Day joined him.

Flowers in her lap, Day started to braid them absently, focusing on her hands and the stems in the darkness.

She remembered what she'd told Asriel; why she'd come to the mountain in the first place. It seemed like she wouldn't have the time or strength to bring her family flowers, for a little while. Initially she frowned, feeling guilty. She'd been able to make it on time every year…

… But it would be okay. If they knew what she'd been doing instead, Day was sure they'd understand. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't bring them flowers at any time she wanted—it didn't have to just be one specific day. So long as she remembered them… it would be alright.

A sizeable chain had formed in her mindless hands, so Day tied it off into a crown, keeping it in her lap. She glanced up at Sans, who still hadn't moved.

Slowly, a small grin crept onto her face; she reached over and placed the flowery yellow crown atop his head.

It seemed to snap Sans out of his stupor, and he jerked to life again.

"Wha—" He reached up to feel what she had put on him, then grinned crookedly.

"Nice," he commented, "Bet it brings out my eyes."

She giggled, then set to work on making one of her own.

"I'll admit," Sans began, "I was starting to doubt you, leading me up here…" He peered back up at the sky, "… I'm glad I was wrong."

"Maybe next time you can bring your telescope," she suggested, "And you can use it for real, for the first time!"

Something suddenly seemed different about Sans' smile—for some reason Day couldn't quite put her finger on, it felt just a bit more real than usual.

"Yeah," he realized, "I could, huh?"

"Do you know any constellations?" she asked.

"Ha," he laughed, in a way that let her know she was speaking his language, "Yeah, a few. Uh… what month is it?"

"August."

"August, huh? Hm…" Sans wracked his brain for slivers of memories, "Let's see, August is gonna be… uh…" He eyed the sky, searching for a marker, "… Yup. Got one—" He pointed out a cluster of stars, "Lyra's there. And so Sagittarius isssss…" He drew out the word while he scanned, finally landing on it, "Boom. There."

She made a little impressed sound, "You remembered those really quickly."

"I lived and breathed astronomy—er, star stuff—for a while." He tapped the side of his skull, "It's all cluttered in there somewhere. Just gotta do some spring cleaning and find it again."

Day giggled, then paused in her flower braiding.

"Sans? What do you think all the monsters will do, now that they're free?" she asked, "Where will they go? Things are a lot different up here, and it might be hard for some people to have to change so quickly."

He nodded, "Yeah. You got a point." Rather than pondering it, Sans simply shrugged, "I dunno, kid. I think it's gonna depend a lot on how the humans react to suddenly having a whole bunch of monsters wanting to move in next door and go to school with their kids and all."

She frowned, knowing he was right. Nervousness started to well up in her stomach, worried for her new friends.

Seeing this, Sans added quickly, "But it's nothing for you to have to worry about—it's out of all of our hands now, anyway. Nothing we can do about it."

The words echoed of the same despondency she heard before, so Day eyed him with concern.

He didn't catch her expression and continued of his own volition, "Again, don't sweat it. We'll deal with everything as it comes up, y'know? Better than worrying about things that might not even happen."

It was reassurance enough—Day nodded in agreement.

"Oh—and Sans?"

"Yup?"

"Thank you for helping me, since we met."

He removed a hand from his pocket to give her a finger-gun, "No problem, bucko. You couldda done well enough without my help—just figured I'd make it a little easier on you."

She doubted it, but Day smiled anyway.

Only halfway through the second flower braid, Day was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Her head sunk forward a bit before she was aware of it, forcing Day to sit upright again, fighting to stay awake.

Sans caught the movement, and he stood.

"Alright," he prompted, "We've stargazed enough for one night—better catch up with everyone now, huh?"

Day gave in, standing as well.

"Okay," she surrendered with a yawn, abandoning the flowers and rubbing her eyes drowsily.

Sans looked her up and down, then chuckled.

"Hey, how about you let me carry you down?" he offered, then supplied it with a wink, "You've done enough for one _day."_

She had just enough cognition left to catch and laugh at the pun, and she gave in.

"Okay."

Sans knelt down to allow her to climb onto his back, then hoisted her up to gain a reliable hold.

Day's head rested on his jacket's hood, and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she breathed, already starting to doze.

"No problem," he replied, "So long as you return the favor one day."

Assuring himself that it wasn't really _that_ far back down the mountain and that he could _probably_ make it there, Sans started back for the trail.

There was nothing keeping her from finally giving into sleep, now. Day closed her eyes, letting herself drift off.

"Heard you talking to Toriel before I walked off," Sans commented quietly, to prevent from waking her in case she was already asleep, "You lucked out, huh?"

"Mm-hm," she agreed, a smile returning to her face at the thought.

"You know what the best part is, right?"

"What?"

Sans was already snickering in preparation of the pun, "Living with her—that'll make you a _Day Dreemurr,_ now."

Day laughed, bapping him gently on the head.

 _"Saaaaans."_

"What? It was too easy."

* * *

Mt. Ebott stood as a silhouette against the dark summer sky. There was a calming air about it; perhaps from the illusion of a glow that the grey rocks reflected from the starlight, or the utter silence it exhibited, subject not even to a stray breeze.

Along with this, two facts remained evident. Firstly, while the mountain served as a solemn reminder of what had occurred long in the past, seeing from the outside—rather than beneath it, looking up—it was clear that the mountain had become so much more than that. Once a prison, Mt. Ebott was now the place of the monsters' first moments of freedom.

It was also a wonderful place to stargaze.

* * *

 ** _Stay tuned for an epilogue, coming soon! Until then, thank you very much for reading!_**


	30. Epilogue: Memory

_**For anyone curious, the upcoming lullaby works to the tune of the track "Memory."**_

* * *

Toriel tucked in the covers around Day, making sure she was comfortable, "Is that alright? Not too tight?"

"No ma'am," she replied, nestling down into the sheets. She held a ragged stuffed mouse close to her chest, affectionately. Sans had passed it off to her, along with a backpack full of odds and ends. He'd told her that he'd found it in the garbage dump a few years ago, and figuring it had fallen in from the human world, he'd hung onto it. He did request to keep the Rubik's cube found inside, though.

Something thumped against the wall of her bedroom, followed by muffled laughter.

Toriel sighed with a smile, "Are those boys still up? I thought Sans said he was just reading his brother a bedtime story."

Day giggled, suspecting this was normal for the two.

When living arrangements were being decided, Toriel of course offered to take in anyone who needed it. Undyne stubbornly insisted on sticking with Asgore- something he seemed immensely grateful for- and Alphys followed in suit.

Sans had tried to assure that he and Papyrus could take care of themselves, but before he could get very far, Papyrus was enthralled by Toriel's offer.

"Wowie!" he'd exclaimed, "So you would be like our mom? We've never had one before!"

The look on Toriel's face proved that Sans' insistence no longer stood a chance. Day suspected he was at least a little relieved, though.

"I will tell them to keep it down," Toriel assured her, "So that you can sleep."

"It's okay," Day claimed. In reality, she was exhausted, and was sure she'd have no trouble falling asleep no matter how much noise was made.

She glanced around the bedroom, still in disbelief that it was truly all hers. It was mostly bare- minus the bed, a lamp, and a built-in closet, as they'd just moved in- but that didn't phase her in the slightest.

"Remember," Toriel said, "I'll be in the room downstairs if you need me. But do be very careful about walking down the stairs in the dark- turn on the lights, so that you don't trip."

She nodded, "Okay... I'll try not to get lost."

Toriel laughed at the joke, "I'm sure you can manage, dear... Ha, the currency exchange from the monsters' gold coins truly worked out in our favor, did it not?" She bent forward and gave Day a tender kiss on the forehead, "Now, do try to get some rest. Tomorrow we need to see about getting you enrolled in a school, for the upcoming year."

Day paled, made anxious by the comment.

"D-do I have to?" she blurted before she could stop herself. She'd never attended an actual school before, and the thought terrified her. Besides, she'd received no shortage of strange, fearful, and even hostile looks from people, ever since she emerged from the mountain alongside her friends. She wasn't ashamed of them- far from it. But... Couldn't she just...?

"Your education is very important," Toriel insisted, "And do not worry- I'm sure you will make many friends in no time."

Day frowned; _that_ was one thing she's never been any good at, what with her crippling shyness.

Toriel reached out and caressed her cheek, "Do not worry, my child. Just give it time; everyone is simply surprised by our sudden appearance, and perhaps a bit afraid. You cannot blame them for that. When we show them that we are here to live peacefully, they will calm... and soon, it will be like we've always belonged here." She offered a smile, "Besides, no matter what happens, we will be alright so long as we stick together. Understand?"

Day's fears still lingered, but Toriel's optimism allowed her to listen to her own, and she nodded.

"Okay."

Toriel's smile widened, "That's my girl. Now, would you like a lullaby to help you sleep?"

Day nodded eagerly, "Yes please."

"Very well, then." Toriel sat on the side of Day's bed, placing a hand on the child's head, petting her hair lovingly. Very softly, she began to sing:

...

 _"Now's the time for speaking softly_

 _For sleeping safe and warmly_

 _Though it's meager keep it fondly_

 _This simple melody_

 _..._

 _If you're sad then listen to me_

 _You're wonderful and lovely_

 _When you're here among your family_

 _You fit in perfectly_

 _..._

 _If you're lost or if you're lonely_

 _When I can't hold you closely_

 _Know I'm here and always will be_

 _Here in your memory_

 _..._

 _So now's the time for speaking softly_

 _For dozing safe and warmly_

 _Though it's meager keep it fondly_

 _This simple memory."_

 _..._

Day's eyes had closed long ago. She heard the click of her lamp, and Toriel's quiet footsteps to the door.

"Goodnight Day. I love you."

"I love you too."

The door clicked shut, almost silently, and Day snuggled deep into her pillow.

A thought came to her, and Day smiled bitter sweetly.

"Goodnight, Asriel," she whispered, no louder than a breath, "Wherever you are."

Day fell asleep, happy.

* * *

 _ **Well. 851 days (2 and 1/4 years) later, here we are. Finally done. It seems even longer than that.  
**_

 _ **I want to thank everyone so much for sticking with me and the story- it was a giant undertaking, and now that it's done, I'm both a little sad and a little relieved. But mostly relieved. XD**_

 _ **I would like to especially thank the following people: 101Asa,**_ _ ** _ **Basia Orci,**_ datudou, MoogleWing, The 25th Dragon, and MikeTheHermit. You all helped me out significantly over the course of writing the story, whether it be with your constant reviews or putting up with my endless PM's where I bounced ideas off of you. Along with everyone who reviewed and read; you guys were all that kept me writing, no matter how hard things got. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I hope you had as much fun on Day's adventure as I did! ^-^**_

* * *

 _(P.S. if anyone wants to see more stuff, at the time of posting this, I have a poll going on my profile regarding what momentous writing task I should take on next).  
_


End file.
